Highwire Daze Issue #140

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ME E TT HEME T ALASSAUL T1 2T HANNI VE RSARYF E STBANDS, KI SSI N' DYNAMI T E , PAL I SADE S, RE NECAMACHOOFWAR, ROCKYNE WT ONOF L I ONHE ART ,ST E VEOVE RL ANDOFF M ANDGROUNDBRE AKE R,VE GA, DI ANE&T HEDE DUCT I BL E S, T HEHARDWA Y ,ANDMORE . . .

NEW NAME – NEW LOGO – NEW ATTITUDE – NEW EDGE

CONGRATS TO 3 OF OUR AMAZING ARTIST’S WHO WERE SELECTED IN THE HIGHWIRE DAZE TOP 10 EP’S OF 2021

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

HIGHWIRE DAZE Sponsored by THE SANDGAARD FOUNDATION

INTERVIEWS with...

Todd Kerns of Slash Ft. Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators...................................................14 As It Is...................................................................18 Palisades................................................................22 Dark Funeral..........................................................26 Audriix...................................................................30 Kissin’ Dynamite...................................................34 Rocky Newton of Lionheart..................................38 Steve Overland of FM and Groundbreaker...........42 Vega.......................................................................46 Rene Camacho of WAR Pt 1.................................50 Meet The Bands of The Metal Assault 12th Anniversary Fest featuring Bone Maggot, Claustrofobia, Dawn Fades, Fermentor.

Fortress of Empyrean, Malison, Sea Of Snakes, Through The Oculus..............................................52

Publisher Highwire Daze Magazine A General Partnership Editor Ken Morton Managing Editor Danny S. Pasley Senior Photographer Jack Lue East Coast Editor Jupiter Lee Contributors Ken Morton Jack Lue Jupiter Lee James Grover Kim Crain Tony F. Corpse Cover Art by Yannick d’Assignes of Smart Works Intl

AUDRIIX POSTER by JACK LUE......................................32/33

Cover Photos by Jack Lue Todd Kerns photo by Mary West HIGHWIRE DAZE 827 N. Hollywood Way PMB419 Burbank, CA 91505-2814 www.highwiredaze.com email: ken@highwiredaze.com Copyright 2022 Highwire Daze Magazine Opinions expressed within this publication do not neccessarily reflect those of the publisher.

All rights reserved. Nothing may be produced in whole or in part without the express and written permission of the publisher.

Supporting Noise Pollution Since 1990!

CONCERT REVIEWS Cole Gallagher & The Lesser Saints.....................57 Dokken..................................................................58 ALBUMS REVIEWS Evilization..............................................................58 Bob Dee with Petro, Crystal Ball..........................59 Editor Ken’s Top 10 of 2021.................................60 SKETCHES BY THE EDITOR................................................... 8 PRODUCT REVIEW BY JAMES GROVER...........................10 IN MUSICAL ORBIT BY JUPITER Crazy Lixx, Victory reviews..................................12

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January/February 2022

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Sketches By The Editor Happy New Year everyone and welcome to Issue #140 of Highwire Daze magazine. We are back on track and ready to explore whatever sonic adventures 2022 has in store for us all. We are only a few weeks in, and it’s already been an adventure in itself trying to put together this new issue in 2 weeks time. Very last minute interviews included a Zoom chat with Lord Ahriman of the legendary black metal band Dark Funeral, a phoner with Todd Kerns from Slash Ft. Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators, and an in person conversation and Jack Lue photo shoot with the amazing pop punk collective As It Is! Thank you to these bands and their hard working publicists for quickly turning these around! Read their interviews in this issue as they all have brand new albums to share with you!

Editor Ken with Patty Walters of As It Is

Here’s hoping 2022 is the year Covid-19 is finally brought under control and we can all bring our lives back to enjoy the things we all love to do like we did before March 2020 hit us all. It will be interesting to look back on all of these pandemic age issues of Highwire Daze and recall how there was once a time that we had no live shows and remember how music kept us all semi-sane. Looking forward to this New Year and hope to see everyone very soon!

Down In Wuhan New original 12 song Hollywood Hard-Rock album Down In Wuhan released world-wide on 8/28/21!

Produced by: Tone Raven Available Now. Everywhere.

World-Wide on all major platforms. iTunes, Spotify, Amazon and CD. youtube.com/toneraventunes

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January/Febraury 2022

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Product Review by

James Grover VOX AC 30 Amplifier “The Workhorse of Rock n Roll”

In 1958 a monster was introduced to the Rock n Roll industry it was the birth of the Vox AC 30 Twin Tube Amplifier.

The crowds where loud so the guitars had to be louder. This modern marvel was the creation that changed the volume of live guitar from growlin’ lows to howlin’ highs, it was the go to amp for The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Yardbirds, Queen, Dire Straits, U2, Radiohead and other greats.

It’s been 64 years since the introduction of the AC 30 and today it’s still being manufactured in the UK. The Amplifier is 30 watts of pure tone with a pair of Celestion 12” Greenback or Alnico Blue Speakers.

As a guitarist myself the AC 30 is my choice for live performances and Studio Recordings, it’s an amplifier that can be dialed in to give you purring low end, warm mids, and piercing highs. With the EL-84 tubes you can get a very clean warm guitar sound which makes it easy to color the signal with effect stomp boxes . The AC 30 is an AB class Amplifier. With the Footswitch you can bounce back and forth from the clean channel to the Gain channel With a very smooth clean transition.

Today the AC 30 is still the “go to” Amp for many guitarists around the world because of its unique dynamics, tones and how the Amplifier can adapt to a variety of guitars with different pick up configurations.

However the AC 30 is built like it sounds tough like a Tank it weighs a whopping 80 lbs. I hope all you guitar players get a chance to dial into an Vox AC 30 Twin Tube amp.

Likes:

Likes and Dislikes

I like that this amplifier is a beast and it’s built well, easy to use and that it sounds great with the Celestion Greenbacks or with the Alnico Blue speakers both sound epic.

Dislikes: I dislike that this amp is a bit on the Heavy side at 80 lbs if you are a weekend musician playing gig to gig it’s best to have a dolly, or have a bandmate help you with your back.

Reach James Grover at: https://www.facebook.com/james.grover.311 10

January/February 2022

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The Canyon Montclair Friday March 4, 2022

Doors at 6pm / Swansons at 7pm

Opening for 'Missing Persons The Canyon Santa Clarita Friday February 4, 2022

Door at 6pm / Swansons at 7pm

Opening for PrinceTribute 'Erotic City' Live-streaming every Thursday night!

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In Musical Orbit by Jupiter Jupiter at Highwire Daze Online Crew East Coast Editor

Happy 2022 everyone!

It’s Jupiter Lee - East Coast Editor. Check out my record reviews here and be sure to add me on Facebook! Link is at the end of my column...

Street Lethal Crazy Lixx Frontiers Music Srl From Sweden, here’s the new release from CRAZY LIXX. The line - up includes vocalist DANNY REXON, bassist JENS ANDERSON, drummer JOÉL CIRERA, guitarist CHRISSE OLSON and guitarist JENS LUNDGREN. STREET LETHAL opens with progressive orchestral keyboards on Enter The Dojo then leads directly into the fast and slamming melody of track 02, Rise Above. It’s an awesome combination. REXON’s high-range vocals also has a raspy edge and will grab your attention immediately. Extremely well crafted songs throughout the album while also showing all of their strongpoints. Track 06, Final Fury rides a very long instrumental wave into the title track Street Lethal. The galloping, fast paced tune keeps you on the edge of your seat! REXON killing it!

Track 10 One Fire is already one of my favorites and is just made for the Airwaves. Enjoying the bass work.

Was that a fade-out? Been a while. The final track,11 Thief In The Night. A cool guitar-based intro with underlying keys make for an intriguing start to this gem!

It’s got elements of hard rock and even prog. STREET LETHAL contains eleven tunes and features a powerful mix. You can follow them by clicking on the link below.

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Gods Of Tomorrow Victory AFM Records With an intense, precautionary introduction of sparse heavy guitar slices and drums, get ready to crank this one up.

The new album GODS OF TOMORROW comes in ten years later after the release of DON’T TALK SCIENCE. Band members include longtime member of ACCEPT, guitarist HERMAN FRANK, vocalist GIANNI PONTILLO, guitarist MIKE PESIN, bassist MALTE FREDERIK BURKET and on the drums MICHEAL STEIN. Straight ahead rock n’ roll with a twist of the perfect blend of amped up performances from everyone. Track 02, Love and Hate and especially along with tracks #04 Cut To The Bone and #10 My Own Desire are just a few of the hit material available on GODS OF TOMORROW. I feel track 06, Hold On Me, delivers exceptionalities of the bass guitar and guitar working together, but you can hear this connection between them from the start! Into The Light, track 07, has this hypnotic riff that includes a very tasteful guitar solo giving way to a big chorus. The next tune Mad contains a crunching rhythmic riff and works perfectly with STEIN’s drumming. Woah! Track 09 Unconditional Love. Where has this tune been hiding? This one has quite a different vibe going on and has a killin’ guitar solo that gives you a taste of what this guy is capable of! The album features fourteen tunes and comes in at just under one hour.

With a slight reference to AC/DC, maybe some DOKKEN, your hard rock fix will be remedied! Awesome new release from VICTORY. Available now on AFM Records.

http://www.victory-band.com/

JUPITER on Facebook:

https://www.crazylixx.com/

www.facebook.com/Jupiter-Lee-173082899386911

HIGHWIRE dAZE ONLINE www.highwiredaze.com

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Todd Kerns: Back On Track with

Slash Ft. Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators

Interview by Ken Morton - Band Photo by Austin Nelson Todd Kerns photo by Mary West Todd Kerns is a musician for all seasons. Before his taking up bass duties with Slash, Kerns was best known for being a front man within the ranks of The Age Of Electric and Static In Stereo. Even during the pandemic Kerns would find plenty to work on. First a brand new band called Minefield with Matt Starr and Jeremy Asbrock. And then back on track with Slash Ft. Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators, recording a brand new album entitled 4. Available worldwide via BMG Music on February 11th, 4 finds Slash, Myles Kennedy, Brent Fitz, Todd Kerns and Frank Sidoris delivering their most hard hitting collection of songs to date. In this interview, Todd Kerns discusses the making of 4 in the midst of Covid, working with music icons such as Slash and Myles Kennedy, his new project Minefield, and a whole lot more...

How would you compare your work with Four compared to the previous releases you’ve done with Slash?

That’s a very good question. You know, what’s funny? Because in a lot of ways, I don’t really sit around listening to us 14

very often. I really don’t sit around listening to anything that I do. It just seems kind of weird to me, but I have had to kind of go back and revisit a bunch of it because of getting ready for this next tour. But it’s really interesting how each record to me has a totally different flavor. Although it’s all cut from the same cloth at the same time. There’s definitely a sound. I definitely feel like we have a sound and a lot of it stems from the guitar riffs, by a very memorable, a very distinct guy.

And then with Myles’ voice and melodies and then the harmonies that we throw on top of, it really creates this whole other animal. It doesn’t really sound like Alter Bridge and it doesn’t really sound like Guns N’ Roses or Velvet Revolver. I think it sounds like its own thing.

We did Apocalyptic Love almost 10 years ago and that was a very live record as well. We recorded it with the intention of doing it as live as possible - and that’s just Slash’s M.O. I can’t really speak for him, but he definitely likes the in the moment-ness of it all, bouncing off each other and this record is 100% live. When I say 100% is like we did it as live as possible. We had some issues with Covid and what not that prevented some of the vocals to be done live, but January/February 2022

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it’s the most the live recording I’ve ever done. In the sense of like no click track, not even any headphones. We were just kind of playing loud and live in a room together and they just kind of captured it. And Myles would be singing along depending on how sick he was.

But for most of it, we did all backing tracks and quite a bit of the vocal in five days.

What was the experience like recording this new album in Nashville?

It was totally different experience. I mean, up to this point.

We have always done our records in Los Angeles. The idea of going to Nashville was very exciting. And the fact we recorded in the old RCA building, that Chet Atkins sort of pioneered. You’d be just be standing there and like, “Dolly Parton did this, Waylon Jennings did that and Willie Nelson was here” and you’re like, “Oh my God.” It’s a lot of like musical ghosts in that building but it was very interesting. The actual experience of it was radically different. But at the same time, not. I think working with Dave Cobb as the producer was very interesting because it was a lot of “Why can’t we do this?”, you know, these sort of getting conditioned in a certain way to believe that records have to meet a certain way. And to be honest, since the recording of that, I’ve done records and before and after in a completely opposite way where no one’s in the same room together.

It’s a very different animal and I think it produces different results.

4 is definitely a magic number when it comes to an album title. Led Zeppelin had a 4 and Foreigner had a 4 – both big iconic albums. Was that kind of intentional to put such a magic number to your album?

I remember talking about it even while I was in tracking.

Somebody stumbled across the idea that this was the 4th Conspirators record I remember even that Dave Cobb was a part of that conversation. We’ve been around for a long time.

I’ve been playing with Slash 12 years this coming March but the Conspirators didn’t really materialize until 2 years later so that put us at the 10-year mark by March, which is mind-blowing - because Frank, Brent, Myself, Slash, and Myles have all been together playing and creating music for 10 years. Of course, there have been all kinds of Guns N’ Roses activity, and Alter Bridge activity and everybody else has different projects. But that’s sort of the way modern music is these days. No one seems to have just one thing they do but I think that’s part of the charm of it.

Many people see Slash as this guitar legend. How do you see Slash when you’re working with him?

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It’s interesting, the overwhelming first part of that conversation is that this person is from something that was very important to me, even in my development as a musician. But it’s kind of gotten past that to just being my friend, you know when a guy that I look up to and rely upon in multiple areas, not just music. But at the same time, he taught us so much about just work ethic in a way. I think that there’s something to be said that he’s a better guitar player today than he was - he’s not one of those people who sort of put his feet up in 1990, 1995. He’s really driven to keep making music, to keep getting better all the time. I’m not sure what he’s doing right now, this moment, but he’s probably playing guitar. He’s constantly pushing himself to be better.

He’s such an interesting person. In a lot of ways, to be honest, he’s so much different than I expected him to be. I mean just from your rock and roll history, the lessons that you took as a kid, you just assumed, he was this animal with a Jack Daniel’s bottle who would grunt and play music. But he’s one of the most thoughtful and intelligent people I know. He reads these big fat books and can spew history on you all day long. And you’re like”Wow,” you did not expect this. It’s a silly thing to consider when in reality we’re all multi-layered beyond the sort of persona that we carry on stage or in music.

Let’s talk about Myles Kennedy. When I interviewed him a few years ago, he was probably one of the nicest people I’d ever interviewed. What has it been like working with Myles throughout these last 10 years?

Well, you’re not wrong. He has like, zero pretenses at all. I mean, he’s one of those people who has not forgotten where he come from. What is the great line in that KISS song, God Gave Rock And Roll To You? There’s a great line that says, “If you want to be a singer and play guitar man, you got to sweat or you won’t go far. It’s never too late to work 9 to 5.” And I think that there’s some always the sort of feeling that if you 15

don’t work really hard - if you don’t really keep your eye on the prize - this could all go away. I think that a lot of us sort of have to maintain this work ethic and I think that Myles is always been very aware of that old adage of, you know, you have to be good to the people on the way up because on the way back down, they all remember.

I don’t peceive Myles going back down in any way, shape, or form anyway. I think that it’s important that he’s never stopped being that kid from Spokane, Washington. In fact, he still lives in Spokane, Washington. He’s purposely not forgotten who that is. He’s just a genuinely lovely person. I mean, he’s very driven and ambitious in his own way. He’s not like one of those nice guys that’s just going to kind of say “Okay.”

He’s constantly working. He’s constantly pushing himself to do new things and he’s an unbelievably talented skilled guy.

I can’t tell you how many times we’ve been playing a riff with Slash and it’s something super crazy. I’m like “Well, I don’t know what the hell?” There are no lyrics and melody for this particular idea.

This is going to be instrumental on something because it’s so crazy. But Myles will always manage to chip away at that solo until you find the statue inside. I think that’s his talentt.

That’s a skill. That’s his purpose and he’s amazing at it.

You have a new band called Minefield, Matt Starr is also in that band. How did that project come about?

That was 100% a covid experiment. It’s like we’re literally all sitting at home. That was the early days into Covid where we weren’t really supposed to be doing and going anywhere or being anything and like anybody, we’re all climbing the walls.

And I’m friends with Jeremy Asbrock and Matt Starr.

Jeremy reaches out and says, “Hey, we’re doing this project with this kid Brandon Fields, would you be up for singing?”

They had this song song and I was kind of like, “Well, let me hear the song. It sounds kind of fun. If Jeremy and Matt are both vouching for it, then it must be fun. Must be cool. So we started bouncing ideas back and forth and started coming up with songs. And Alone Together ended up being first single and in my opinion, is still a very strong track.

I’m sort of thinking a lot about this because of the nature of the way things are right now and how crazy everything is.

I’m very grateful that things like this come to me. Because in reality, had I not done that, that’s 10 or 12 or whatever songs that wouldn’t exist. And then an experience that I would not have had.. I tend be one of those people who will say yes to things that are interesting, especially things that are kind of like unusual kind or mildly concerning. I’m kind of like “I 16

don’t know about that. That makes me mildly uncomfortable.

I should probably jump into that just to try it.” But it was covid. None of us were doing anything.”

So the idea of somebody coming to me – because I’m literally sitting at home watching Tiger King and shit! Please get me off the couch! It was a lot of fun and I hope we get to do it again or get to play a show. None of us are going to live forever. I just think that it’s important to just keep creating and growing. And I think that record is a big part of that. We all sort of talk about it, and it’s been a year or something like that.

It’s tough to really engage any of these things based on like “We sold a million copies!” That’s not the conversation. It’s more about, “Is this good music and feels good? Are we happy about it?” That’s the end of the conversation to me. Is it like”Yeah, I love it. I feel good about it. I’m happy. We did it.” I’m proud of that - that we were able to pull it together (for Mindfield), because none of us were in the same room or even the same state to make that even happen. 1 guy from California, 1 guy in Tennessee, 1 guy in Kentucky. I was in Nevada - so it was bizarre that we were able to pull this together and then make a video. We look like we’re all playing together and we’re not. It’s super surreal that that was even able to happen.

January/February 2022

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AS IT IS: Back From Hell and Taking It On The Road

Interview by Ken Morton Photos by Jack Lue As It Is has returned with an impassioned new album entitled I Went To Hell And Back, conceived during the downtime due to a worldwide pandemic. A followup to their stunning The Great Depression magnum opus, As It Is — Patty Walters, Ronald Ish, and Alistair Testo — are ready to share their brand new sonic journey of I Went To Hell And Back to the world. Just prior to the As It Is US tour, Highwire Daze interviewed vocalist Patty Walters to discuss their exciting new album, a return to touring, how the pandemic affected the band, and a whole lot more! All this, and the band also did a shoot with legendary photographer Jack Lue, some of the pictures which are included in this article.

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We’re here with Patty of As It Is. Let’s talk about the new album. I Went to Hell and Back. Where did that title come from?

So it comes from a song on the record. The last song on the record. And I think one of my favorite aspects about that quote, and that line, and that lyric is that it’s... it’s interrupted in the context of the song, so it won’t be until the record’s out that everybody really understands the full scope of the lyric. I couldn’t think of a better phrase to summarize my experience, our experience during the pandemic during the past two years of not being able to do the thing we love most. The thing we’re best at.

The thing that gives us a sense of like, community and purpose. The past three and a half years, since we’ve released a record, it’s been extremely hard, but we went to hell and we came back from it. And I think that the last January/February 2022

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two words of that title are the most important, because it implies that there’s nothing that you can’t overcome.

And I feel like we have, and being out here in L.A. is living proof of that.

Select two songs from I Went To Hell And Back that you feel in the most important and the inspirations behind them.

Well, I think I Don’t Give A Fuck (IDGAF) - we released that song first for a reason. I think it represents the album really well. It represents every song on the record perfectly in my opinion. And it was one of the earliest ones we wrote too, and the fact that we couldn’t quite forget it, the fact that we never got sick of it. It says so much about how proud I am of that song. But I just love the lyric that sings out the chorus. “Something’s got to give before I give the fuck up.” I mean, it’s just pure desperation. It’s exhaustion. It’s exasperation. And that’s everything I and we were feeling when we wrote that song.

One of my favorites from the record is I Miss 2003.

That’s one of my favorite. “I’ve been feeling old and out of context” is what opens that song. And if I’m really being honest, I miss everything I had at 16. With all the time that we had during the pandemic, there was ample time for reflection, and I spent so much time looking backward because we’ve been moving forward at such a rapid pace for probably close to six years in this band.

We’ve been touring fairly relentlessly since the middle of 2014. So to come to a screeching halt, like we did in 2020, you sort of start to look around and you don’t even recognize your surroundings all that much, because you become who you are, is who you are on tour. That’s certainly how I felt. I wasn’t used to being home, that wasn’t comfortable for me and then I started looking backward and reassessing and re-evaluating. Am I proud of who I am every day? Am I proud of this person who’s not on tour right now, who’s not living their dream and feeling at home on stages every night? That lyric actually means so much to me. And I think it sort of gets lost because there’s all these exciting references to bands and songs that we love of course, but that really does say so much about how I was feeling over the past two years.

It’s such a magical liberating word and you have “I” starting almost every single lyric on the album. Tell me about why you decided to start every song with “I”.

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Yeah, it is one of these happy coincidences. So many of these songs serendipitously were just starting with the letter “I”. We were departing from the deeply conceptual The Great Depression, where every song started with with “The” and this was because we knew that we were purposely intentionally not writing another concept album, but this was a way of sort of nodding to that period, nodding to that era and still being attached to it in some way.

What are you looking forward to most about this upcoming tour?

Everything. Everything. I’m looking forward to the fast food. I’m looking forward to the gas station bathrooms.

I’m looking forward to the long drives and the sleep deprivation. I’ve missed everything about tour. So the good and the bad. I’m looking forward to it in equal measure. Just being back on the road, being surrounded by my friends in and outside of this band. It’s going to feel surreal and so exciting.

The final Warped Tour you were doing, you were playing in support of The Great Depression. What was it like touring in the heat with all that makeup on and everything? That must have been pretty excruciating.

Yeah, it wasn’t comfortable. What I was wearing was sleeveless, but it was still a suit jacket on top of a T-shirt and black skinny jeans every day, the same pair. The same clothes. Certainly not comfortable, but we all have to suffer for our art in some capacity. And I feel if the 19

true rock stars like Beyoncé and Miley Cyrus can be doing their shows and they’re wearing stilettos and all sorts of outfits. I can do Warped Tour in some skinny jeans. What’s that? That’s easy. I can take that.

You’ve lost two members recently. What has that been like? Do you still keep in touch with them?

We do. I went and saw Ben at one of his solo project shows in December and he was fantastic. I saw our old drummer at our bassist’s wedding. We’re all still brothers and best friends. And we love each other and we’re rooting for each other all the time. We miss them terribly. But we wish them all the best at the same time. You know, you feel that loss. You feel that the room is a little quieter without those voices. But the fire is still there where we’re still brothers and best friends, the three of us that are in this band and we still have a lot to say and a lot to accomplish.

Do you have any messages for fans as you want to say something that, that I haven’t covered?

Well, what I would love to say is thank you for still 20

being there. If you are still there, thank you. And please come and see us on a show if you are interested and you feel safe doing so. And if not us, just go and see any show. Live music is slowly coming back and the industry is hurting and the bands and the artists. They’re hurting. The crew is hurting. And... Yeah, if you don’t feel safe, coming to a show then buy some merch, like keep your favorite bands inspired and fed and breathing, because we miss you terribly, whether we say it explicitly on social media or out loud. We miss it. We want real life to come back. So, in the meantime, yeah, just don’t forget about your favorite bands.

I Went To Hell And Back by As It Is will be available February 4th via Fearless Records. And if you are in Los Angeles, As It Is will be at The Belasco Theater, performing with Set It Off, Stand Atlantic, and No Love For The Middle Child.

https://asitisofficial.com/ https://fearlessrecords.com/ January/February 2022

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Palisades: The Next Chapter

Interview by Ken Morton Band Photo by Travis Shinn New Jersey rock powerhouse Palisades are back with a vengeance and has released their new single and music video My Consequences via Rise Records. After weathering life’s storms of losing loved ones and band lineup changes, My Consequences is the first track with their new singer (formerly bassist) Brandon Elgar. Their first recording since the 2018 full length Erase The Pain, My Consequences signifies an epic new chapter in the legacy of Palisades. Highwire Daze recently caught up with Brandon Elgar via Zoom to discuss My Consequences and the ongoing sonic adventures of Palisades. Read on...

How surprised were you, first of all, to find out that Lou was leaving the band and that you were going to be the 22

new lead singer?

It kind of just came out of nowhere. Honestly, we weren’t really planning on it happening. We did a couple of tours without Lou because he was having some problems with his hearing and with his throat and stuff. So we wanted to just give him a little break. We didn’t want to drop the tours because we wanted to still be able to go out and make some money for the holiday season and all that stuff. And then, it kind of just happened out of nowhere. We got back and kind of just all sat down and we just decided it probably just be best to just keep it this way, keep it as a four piece. That’s what we decided to do. And obviously, everything with Lou is still great. He wanted to actually step away from this as well. He’s been working on his graphic art and stuff like that.

So it was definitely like a mutual agreement on everything, January/February 2022

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and that’s why we’re all still good friends with each other and everything. So yeah, it’s been a good transition in everything, but it’s still been like nerve-racking for sure, trying to grasp on everything - to new music and all that stuff.

How nervous are you about replacing a long-running vocalist in a band that’s been around for a while?

Honestly, I’ve been a vocalist all my life. I’ve been singing since I was like 13, I’m self-taught and everything. I’ve been the lead vocalist in pretty much all my other bands that I’ve ever been a part of. So, this is actually like the first band that I’ve ever been a bass player for, and I was still doing some backup vocals here and there, throughout being in Palisades. It’s been fine for me, it’s like just going into the lead role and just put my own flair on things and see how it goes. It’s been great so far. It’s been a great response with everything.

Let’s talk about the first new single, My Consequences.

Tell me about that song, and what was the inspiration HIGHWIRE DAZE

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behind it?

That song, it’s based on a depression period I had a couple of years ago. I was basically waking up every day and just like-- as soon as I woke up, I would just start sobbing because I just knew how terrible the day was going to be.

And like at the time, I was just in a dark place, and I kind of just got to a point where I just wanted to run away and just not be found or anything like that. Hence, the line from that song, “I’ll cover me up, I’ll soak in Lime.” That means like people use lime to hide the smell of deteriorating like carcasses or corpses. So basically, I’m like saying that in a way, I want to be soaked in lime so that way, nobody finds me. I want to be left alone type of thing. But it’s also about breaking out of that depression, knowing that there’s more to this life than all the shitty things that get thrown at us. Yeah, it’s basically just about dealing with your shit and breaking through it and really just hitting a high point that we all need.

Will there be a new Palisades album, or EP, or singles 23

coming out soon on?

There’s definitely a lot in the works right now. I’m not sure if I’m allowed to say certain things. But I will say that we definitely have more stuff coming. We have music.

What was it like recording new music and writing new music in the middle of a pandemic? And how did that affect everything with Palisades?

Obviously, the pandemic has been terrible for a lot of people, a lot of bands, a lot of, like anybody, everybody.

It’s been terrible for everyone. But we definitely used it to where, since we couldn’t go anywhere, we figured, we were like, “You know what? Let’s just sit down, just write some music and everything.” And that’s what we did for a whole year. We just wrote and wrote and wrote. The recording process was great. Keith was great. We love working with him. He is very welcoming to us and everything, and he really enjoyed what we had. With My Consequences, he definitely put in his flare here and there but he was-him and Zakk Cervini were just great to work with and definitely made us feel at home. We got to go out to LA for that too. We definitely used the pandemic for a lot of writing, which was good. I think it definitely helped us be able to find a little bit more of what we wanted to do and the direction that we wanted to go. It definitely worked out for us in the end. Even though it’s still happening. COVID is still here - but we definitely used it the best we could.

Your previous album Erase The Pain was released in 2018. It’s now 2022. How frustrating has it been to wait so long to even release new music?

(Laughs) Let me tell you. For me, especially, it’s been very, very hard just because it’s like--yeah, it’s been, what?

Four years? Yeah, it’s been four years. I have been very impatient myself, and it’s even thrown me in the loop of like my own mental capacity and everything. And especially with COVID hitting, everything. I ended up getting diagnosed with agoraphobia, disassocative disorders, chronic anxiety stuff. Just going from Erase The Pain to touring and then to absolutely nothing. It definitely has taken a toll on me. And it’s definitely taking a toll on the whole band as well. Everybody’s been going through their own personal vendettas and everything like that.

For me, personally, I have been very impatient. So, just releasing My Consequences was such a huge step for me, just because it finally felt like we weren’t in the dark anymore. People have been waiting so long for this music.

And now, we were like finally able to give people a taste of it. It’s been definitely a breath of fresh air ever since Erase The Pain and to now having to finally release something.

But yeah, it’s been a long four years. I’ll give you that, for sure.

24

I also found some covers that you did online.

Oh, no.

You cover Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes. I want to know, did any of their fans ever comment on your covers?

Any of like the Bieber fans or anything like that?

Yeah. Yeah.

Oh, yeah. I mean, of course, definitely got some comments on it. I’ve had comments from people, saying-- like, even from like when I tried out for Woe Is Me a long time ago, saying like, “Wow, it’s great!” Like, “I’ve been listening to you since your try out for Woe Is Me and all this stuff.”

These are comments from everybody. But oh my gosh, I can’t believe I still even have those covers up, man. I get so embarrassed anytime people bring them up. I feel like they could be so much better now that I’m like looking back at them. Yeah, there’s a lot of interesting covers on my page. I definitely need to manage that. (laughs) I mean, I do love Bieber, don’t get me wrong. I’m a huge Bieber fan. But it’s just like, looking back on that cover, I’m just like, “Oh, gosh. No. I could have done so much better.”

What do you hope this new year brings for you and for Palisades?

This year, I’m definitely pushing for touring, 100%. We haven’t toured since November of 2019. So that is my number one goal, is to definitely tour, and we are definitely in the works of getting that set up and everything right now. It’s the whole waiting game right now. Yeah, getting tours, playing all the other festivals this year. And obviously, I really want to start doing like ampitheaters and even Arenas too Areans are like the goals, for sure, for this band. We’ve always wanted to do a Arenas and see what it would be like, that big of a stage and just having that opportunity as well. Definitely, just doing that, getting on the radio, doing a lot bigger things that we never really thought we could do, but we feel that we have the potential now to do.

Do you have any messages for Palisades fans who are really in this right now?

Just be ready. I think a lot of people are going to be very surprised for what we have coming, especially music-wise.

I just hope that everybody enjoys it as much as we do and are ready to connect with us on a whole different level that we haven’t really touched base on. And we still love everybody, we still welcome everybody, and definitely can’t wait to see everybody this year.

https://www.facebook.com/WeArePalisades https://www.instagram.com/wearepalisades/ January/February 2022

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OPEN

24 Hours Curated by Editor Ken highwiredazeradio.net

The Apocalyptic Reveries of

DARK FUNERAL

Interview by Ken Morton Band Photo by Bartosz Szydlowski Live Photo by Jack Lue Swedish black metal legends Dark Funeral will be releasing their new full-length album We Are The Apocalypse on March 18th via Century Media Records - and it’s an intriguing underground masterwork!

Featuring dynamic anthems such as Let The Devil In, When Our Vengeance Is Done and Nosferatu, We Are The Apocalypse is the perfect soundtrack for this dark and desolate pandemic age. Lord Ahriman (guitars), Heljarmadr (vocals), Chaq Mol (guitars), Jalomaah (drums), and Adra Melek (bass) are at the very height of their creativity, ready to unleash their latest and greatest chapter of scathing darkness upon the world at large.

26

Highwire Daze recently interviewed founding member Lord Ahriman to find out more about their gripping We Are The Apocalypse manifesto, their great respect for horror movies, touring the States, the upcoming 30-year anniversary of the band, and more!

We Are The Apocalypse is such a powerful name for an album. Some would think it’s about the worldwide situation we are living in today, being like an apocalyptic event. Is there any overall story or concept behind that title?

No, it was – every time you’re looking for a title, you want a title that really speaks for the whole record. Since we have different topics on this record and you can enter different kind of dark worlds, we tried to find a title that would really sum it all up. But of course, as the state of January/February 2022

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the world is now, that’s the first thing we obvious thought about – when you write the record, you’re influenced by what’s going on around you and from the state you’re in.

The world is mad at the moment, so I guess that was the influence a little bit – but only to a certain extent.

What was it like to write and record We Are The Apocalypse in the middle of a pandemic and all of the social unrest going on in the world today?

It was something really special – with all these restrictions you couldn’t really live your life as you normally do – and of course that affected your mood. But other than that – like the last couple of records I’ve been writing in my home studio and fine tuning them. Me and Heljarmadr worked pretty much the same as on the last record – he was in his home studio, and I was in mine – and we were sending files between each other. On the other hand, I actually started writing for this record a couple of years ago, so it’s not like we’ve just been writing during the pandemic. We finalized the record during the pandemic. When we recorded, it was an ease with all the restrictions, so there was really nothing we were worried about. The situation really didn’t bother us that much.

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It’s been six years since the last studio Dark Funeral studio album. Was it frustrating to wait this long to record and release new music at all?

No, I started writing it four years ago. But like always, there’s many years between each record when we write.

It’s especially because we’re touring a lot between each record. I’ve tried to bring recording equipment and a computer with me on the bus, but I’ve got to be in a certain place spiritually when I write music. I don’t do it just for the sake of writing – it’s gotta be the right situation for me to write. I need to have something to say with the music – there’s gotta be some kind of feelings I need to get out from my system. And that’s maybe why it takes a long time. It’s a combination between lots of touring, and when it come to the point where we are really going to focus on nailing this, then I cancel everything else basically, and I just dive deep into this nightmare like world I’m going to be in when I work.

Your last tour out here in the States was in 2019. Overall, how did that tour go for you?

It was an amazing tour! We sold out pretty much all of the gigs. The US has been really good to us. You guys have treated us fantastic and thank you for that! The last 27

two tours have been really good. And there’s some places that have always been good ever since the first time we played there, like New York, Los Angeles, Florida and so on. The US has been good, and we really enjoy touring the US too. We like the US. One of the songs on We Are The Apocalypse is called Nosferatu. Are you a fan of the Nosferatu and Dracula movies – or horror movies in general?

Oh yeah, I’ve been a big horror movie fan ever since I was a kid. I actually started collecting uncensored horror movies when I was 12 years old. But when it came to this song, the whole idea came from Heljarmadr. We watched the original Nosferatu and got really inspired. Normally you would speak to him about the lyrical side, but I know he wanted to bring back the original dark feel from the movie into the lyric. And it fits really well with the music. As I told him when we were arranging the vocals in the first couple of takes from him, I was like, “I’ve never had this feeling before. It’s like I’m entering a movie or opening up a book and just sinking into a really good horror book.” It was just a totally different feeling – I’ve never had it with a song I’ve written like that one.

Here’s the deal – one of the reasons we decided to do a song about Nosferatu as that this year is 100 years since they’ve released the original one. It was also the first horror movie at the same time. So, it’s 100 years since Nosferatu came out and it’s 100 years since the world got to love horror movies. So, in a way, it’s a tribute to that also. So that song has a lot of different meanings. It’s a big song for us.

You were mentioning we are celebrating 100 years of horror movies. Next year we’re going to be celebrating the 30-year anniversary of the creation of Dark Funeral. What do you think has kept Dark Funeral so exciting and creative for you for nearly 30 years now?

That’s hard for me to say anything about really. For me, I don’t know what else I would do. This is just my life.

For me, I want to keep on trying to develop the band, keep on improving, keep on challenging ourselves musically and artistically. I feel like it’s always possible to reach new heights. I’m kind of never satisfied with where I am in my life and with the band. I just want to keep on pushing and challenging myself basically. As long as I have that urge that I just want to keep going forward, I guess I’m going to continue doing this. And we’ve kept on growing as a band and just got more support from all of the fans. I don’t know why, but I guess there’s gotta be something special with our music that brings emotions.

I guess we’re not one of those super obvious bands – we 28

‘Death’ Released May 14th2021

‘Furyous’ Released September 10th, 2021

And more!

Be sure to check out our animated lyric videos for both singles and subscribe to our YouTube Channel At:

www.youtube.com/deathcryptopia Become a Deathcryptopian and stay updated on all Deathcryptopia News. Subscribe to The Deathcryptopian by emailing us at deathcryptopia@gmail.com

Times

don’t follow any rules – we do whatever we fucking want – and this is what you get. We create our own rules and our own dark world – and I guess that’s something that people also maybe notice.

When you listen to the debut Dark Funeral album Secrets Of The Black Arts, what do you think if it now in retrospect?

It’s a great record! As every record you write, its a testament of it’s time. The life we were living at that time was quite fucking chaotic, which also reflected into the record at that time. Nowadays life is - I’m living in kind of controlled chaos. I still want to bring chaos into the world, but I want to have everything under control - if you know what I mean. But that record is for that time - and I have so many good memories when I wrote that record and everything around it that was going on. That was years ago and I’m in a different place in my life right now. But I’m still proud of my history and what we have achieved over the years and what we have created together.

https://www.darkfuneral.se/ January/February 2022

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Audriix: Beyond The Life Support Tour

Interview by Ken Morton Photo by Jack Lue Audriix is a singer/songwriter/violinist who would find herself spending the last few months of 2021 on The Life Support Tour. Opening for the likes of Madison Beer and Maggie Lindemann, one of the dates Audriix performed locally was at the historic Wiltern Theater deep in the heart of Los Angeles. After the tour, Audriix completed a photo shoot with legendary photographer Jack Lue and took time out to do this interview with Highwire Daze. Read on to find out more about the amazing artist on the rise...

What was the very first song you ever wrote, how old were you, and what was the song about?

I wrote a violin piece called The Happy Song when I was 4. The first pop song I wrote was when I was 6 and it was called Secrets. I don’t know if the song was that deep given 30

that I was so young but it was about keeping secrets to myself. I performed it with my first “band,” a group of 1st graders who called ourselves the Backstreet Girls.

Where are you based out of and what is your local music scene like there?

I split my time between Tahoe in Nevada and Los Angeles. Tahoe actually has quite a bit of local music but when I’m here I’m usually working from my home studio. LA is definitely the bigger music scene and where I do most of my songwriting sessions, choreography work, costume fittings, etc.

How did your recent tour with Madison Beer and Maggie Lindemann go and what were some of the highlights?

The Life Support Tour was an absolute blast! The biggest highlight was being back to performing live music after all 2020 touring plans were canceled. Opening night of tour January/February 2022

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was my first show back since the pandemic so I was incredibly excited. Another highlight was getting to play some legendary venues such as Terminal 5 in NYC, the Fillmore in San Francisco (hometown show!), and the Wiltern in Los Angeles. These and so many others were venues I had always wanted to play. And finally, I was thrilled with the energy and excitement from the fans! The crowds were insane and people were really responding to my music and singing along and dancing and screaming and it made the show so much fun to play! It’s been really fun to continue connecting with a lot of the fans I met on tour over social media, too.

What was it like touring in the midst of pandemic protocol?

Surprisingly, touring was pretty normal despite being during the pandemic. I think the fans were a lot more affected than we were because they had to wear masks and show proof of vaccine or negative covid test at each venue. For us performers, nothing really changed. Meeting the fans after the show is really important to me so I just tried to be careful and wear a mask when meeting people indoors, but besides that it was normal. I already am very very careful to stay healthy and not get sick during tours even prior to covid, so I just continued to be careful. Luckily we all made it through tour with no covid!

What is the story or concept behind your latest single Airstream?

I wrote Airstream during the middle of the pandemic, while the whole world was shut down and we were all trapped at home. Prior to the Life Support Tour, I played my last show on March 11, 2020 and the next day everything got canceled for the rest of the year which was really disheartening. Airstream is about my feeling of wanting to hit the road and get out of town rather than being trapped in quarantine.

I Choose Me is another recent single. What is the inspiration behind that song?

I Choose Me is my personal declaration of self love, self worth, and empowerment. There will always be people in your life who try to control you and bring darkness into your life. This song is me declaring that I am choosing myself and won’t let anyone dull my shine.

And then let’s talk about Taking Back My Life and what inspired that particular single.

Taking Back My Life is the most personal song I have ever released. Last year my engagement ended. The relationship was extremely toxic, and getting out of it was the hardest thing I have ever had to go through. I felt like I had lost my entire future I had planned. Part of my healing process was writing this song to help me move on from my past and take back my power and my life.

If you could open for any band or artists either now or from the past, who would it be and why?

I would love to open for Taylor Swift. She is the best of the best and her songs are the prime example of relatable, HIGHWIRE DAZE

January/February 2022

storytelling, empowering, and incredibly catchy. That’s exactly what I’m going for so I can’t think of a better fit. She’s amazing.

What could one expect from a live Audriix show?

Upbeat and fun music. Empowering and punchy choreography. High energy. Genuine connection and interaction with the audience. Colorful, high fashion, unique costumes. And a lot of sparkle.

What was it like shooting with legendary photographer Jack Lue? Shooting with Jack Lue was fantastic—the photos speak for themselves! He had such a vision for what angles and settings and locations would look good, and his lighting was precise and beautiful. I was also amazed at how efficient our shoot was; we got through so many settings and looks and it was hard to pick my favorite shots with so many to choose from!

What do you hope this New Year brings for you?

I hope 2022 is a new chapter for me musically and personally. It’s a fresh start to leave the toxicity and trauma I experienced from last year behind, and to laser focus on my career.

The Life Support Tour was a tremendous experience and I want to keep that momentum going. I’m working on a lot of new music that I am really excited about, and can’t wait to get on another tour soon as well.

Any final words of wisdom?

Let yourself shine!

https://www.audriix.com/ 31

J ACKL UEPHOT OGRAPHY PRE SE NT E DBY

HI GHWI REDAZ EMAGAZ I NE

Kissin’ Dynamite: Raging Rock and Roll Explosion

Interview by Ken Morton Photo Credit: Holger Fichtner & Patrick Schneiderwind Kissin’ Dynamite is back and ready to bring the party rock and roll to music fans all across the world. Their brand new album is entitled Not The End Of The Road, available via Napalm Records, and jam-pakced with raging stadium rock style anthems. Highwire Daze recently interviewed guitarist Jim Müller to find out more about their amazing Not The End Of The Road magnum opus, working with the legendary Udo Dirkschneider on a previous album entitled Addicted To Metal, their thoughts about playing here in the States, and whether or not they agree with the KISS proclamation that “Rock Is Dead.” Read on...

So let’s talk about the new album, Not the End of the Road. What is the idea for the title of that album?

Yeah. It was just like the perfect putting it all in a nutshell for the whole feeling of the album. It’s all about empower34

ing people to not give up, to spread love, especially in these dark times where you really need to be psychologically stable. Just not to give up. And that’s what it’s all about, because this is definitely not the end of the road and there’s a lot of bigger problems we have. The pandemic is fucked up definitely and it is shitty, but it’s definitely not the end of the road and not the end of the world - yet. Well, for me personally, it’s also a good title to piss off KISS because you know, they say “Rock Is Dead” all the time and shit like that. But you know, I would say the same if the last good song I wrote was in 1985. That’s a good one. Right? (Laughs) That is a good one. And that’ll be all over Blabbermouth too.

I hope so. I hope so. (Laughter) So, you’ve done some label jumping from AFM to Metal Blade, and now the Napalm. How did you wind up deJanuary/February 2022

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ciding that Napalm would be the label to release this new album on?

Yeah. We talked with lots of labels and everything. It’s always tough nowadays. It’s like not the same thing anymore like back in the day. Napalm just came up with really good ideas and a good team and the spirit was just right. When it feels good, you need to do that, and that’s what happens with Napalm.

I want to talk about a few of the songs, just your impressions of them. You have a song called Yoko Ono. What do you think of the real Yoko Ono, and what is your impression of that song? And then what would you think if she heard the song?

I hope that she does. Yoko Ono, in person, I don’t know how she is in real life. She’s a great artist definitely and definitely has her right to exist and everything, but I mean, it’s more like a cultural object for me. Yoko Ono. Not just the person itself, but the whole people eating the souls of other people. That’s what comes to my mind when I hear the Yoko Ono name. It’s also not actually the person but the personality. It also sounded great for the song. So, we thought it’s a funny idea to put it all together. And you know, for sure Kissin’ Dynamite, it’s all about entertainment and always with a smile. So, if people don’t get the joke and are offended, you’re welcome. That’s the rock and roll thing.

Coming Home was like a really fun video to make. What does that video and that song mean to you?

It puts all together the whole emotional thing for me of being on tour, doing records and everything. That’s nice, but I do it for the live shows and that’s all I want. I want to be on stage every night until I fall to death. That’s what I live for and that song totally puts it together. In the video, there’s also our new stage setup, which the crew of us was working the whole year to bring it up together like the stages and the lights, and we have stairs and bridges and everything, just like a real Stadium Rock stage. That’s what we wanted. We put all the money we earned over the years into this production. That’s what I think in the video comes over really, really nicely. In the release week, there will be a streaming show with this particular set.

It’s like for every year we plan something new and something bigger and something better. It’s like a playground. For me, the stage is the playground and we can form it the way we want it. I think we did a good job. Can’t wait to jump off all these risers.

You have an All-Star cast on the song Good Life. (Alea from Saltatio Mortis, Guernica Mancini of Thundermother, Charlotte Wessells of Delain). How did that song come about?

That track is kind of like a rock gospel, I would say, and we needed a big crowd. And so we thought, “Okay, but we need faces, not just a big chanting choir of unknown people, HIGHWIRE DAZE

January/February 2022

or ghost singers.” So we’re talking, I think the first one we asked was actually Alea from Saltatio Mortis. It 13 years ago when our first festival we ever played. Saltatio Mortis was playing as well on the main stage already and they saw our show and we had a good talking and they actually invited Hannes, our singer, to sing a song with them, to do feature, just right at the evening on main stage. So, we always want to do something and to give something back and everything. So, that was really cool that Alea said ye.

Also, the ladies from Thundermother are good friends of us. Also, the song itself, everybody’s yearning for a good life. We wanted to spread hope and everything. It was actually a song for the Children’s Cancer Hospital near our hometown.

We put all the money we earned with that song, and sent the money to this organization. We are supporting for a couple of years already, doing some streaming shows. And so, that was a good idea to do a charity single and to give something back, to support a good thing.

Has Kissin’ Dynamite ever played here in the States, or would you like to do so in the future?

Oh I would love to, definitely. But you know, it’s tough.

You cannot get your suitcases and go there and just hope that everything will be fine. Nowadays, you need to have a support paying gig and we’re always looking for it. It’s just not happened yet. But we’ve been to 70,000 Tons of Metal.

It was the only time we partly have gotten to play the States.

I think it started in Fort Lauderdale and we would sail into Mexico and back, and spend some time in Miami and everything. Privately, I’ve been there a couple of times, you know, like L.A., San Francisco and everything. But for the band, it was just not the time for it, but we’re working on it and it’s 35

definitely going to happen. You don’t know, maybe we’ll get a nice support act for a big Stadium Rock band and tour the US. And then, for sure, we’ll come back to do headliner shows, but you need something to open this kind of territory.

So, we are working on it.

The first time I had heard of your band was the album Generation Goodbye, which is actually different from a lot of the other Kissin’ Dynamite albums. When you look back at that album Generation Goodbye, what you think of it now and that particular song in retrospect?

It was kind of that time we were really pissed on social media and how everything works, but well, guess what? It didn’t change for sure. We just had the feeling of shouting this out how we feel. So, I think it was important to do this record and everything. I wouldn’t change anything because we don’t know if we did something different, maybe we’re not here anymore. So I think it’s all good how things came along and you know, that’s for all records of Kissin’ Dynamite.

I think that’s also something quite special when it comes to us. The first record we recorded when we were 15, and we had no idea what we were doing. We had no idea what we stand for. I mean when you’re 15, you think you know feelings. “I’ve been there, done that,” but you have no idea what life is all about. So it’s a happy mixture of AC/DC riffs and power metal lines and double bass drums - just like a total mixture of what we thought was cool without having a particular style or just like an idea in our mind. That’s what is so funny about that band. From album to album, you can see how we grew up and how we got better and just how the whole idea came together. And often, bands come out with a debut record where style and everything just fits perfectly together because they’re like 25 or 30. And for us, it captured growing up in our teenager times.

And then going back to one of the earlier albums, Addicted to Metal, you worked with Udo Dirkschneider. What was your experience like working with him on that particular album and touring with him?

We toured with him a couple of months before recording that album and we got to be really close friends.

He’s such a cool guy. I love him. We saw his son Sven growing up. He came to the concert before he was their drummer.

We had our first drinks together and kind of like showed him the funny sides. His father was just totally cool and I do really miss him. We used to see each other a couple of times a year on different festivals or shows when he was around the corner and everything.

I can’t wait to see him again. It always feels like you meet your grandfather or something like that. I think he’s proud of us, how far we got and we’re proud that 36

we know him and have such a cool supporter.

Have you heard the new Udo album Game Changer? It’s quite good!

Yeah, absolutely. Also, my friend Dee Dammers is now the guitarist, which is also really funny because I’ve known him for a lot of years now. It’s really cool to see young talented guitarists getting their chance to rock with legends. That’s really cool.

Do you have any messages for the Kissin’ Dynamite fans out here in the States?

No matter how hard the times are and no matter how dark it is, never give up because it’s not about giving up. It’s not the end of the road. I can’t wait to hit the road again and hopefully, also in the US bringing you a nice Stadium Rock Show, probably in a club, but that’s not what it’s about.

It’s about the feeling. If you feel you’re in the stadium and you’re in a club, everything is right. I think Nikki Sixx also said to people when they have a stadium rock show in the club, and that was back in the 80s, and it’s still up to date I think. So, I can’t wait to see you guys.

https://www.kissin-dynamite.de/

METAL BABE MAYHEM

Compact Mirror

Rose Heart Box

Choker

Crane Pendants

Trivet

MetalBabeMayhem.com January/February 2022

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Rocky Newton of LIONHEART Second Nature, Grand Slam, and More...

Interview by Ken Morton Second Nature is the comeback Lionheart album released in 2017, featuring the all-star lineup of Dennis Stratton (formerly guitarist with Iron Maiden), Steve Mann (current guitarist and keyboardist with Michael Schenker), Rocky Newton (former bass player and backing vocalist with McAuley Schenker Group), Clive Edwards (former drummer with UFO, Wild Horses, and Uli Roth), and newest member Lee Small (former lead vocalist with Shy and Phenomena). Out of print for a few years now, Metalville Records now presents a remasted version of Second Nature, complete with bonus tracks! With their third album The Reality Of Miracles being an absolute triumph for 2020, the hard to find Second Nature is a welcomed addition to the New Year as we await the next Lionheart magnum opus.

Highwire Daze recently caught up with the one and only Rocky Newton to discuss the re-release of Second Nature, 38

working with Michael Schenker, Victory and Def Leppard - plus his current participation within the ranks of the almighty Grand Slam. Read on...

How did the reformation of Lionheart come about for the album Second Nature?

Quite simply, the band never really broke up from the early ‘80s but we all kind of went off and did different projects.

Steve and I went on to play with MSG. joined Iron Maiden and it just kind of fragmented and we lost touch for a bit. But always remained friends.

And, in 2016, there’s was an AOR Festival in the UK, which is sadly no longer going, called the Rockingham Festival in Nottingham, which happens to only be about 20 miles from where I live. The promoter got hold of me and he’d always been a huge Lionheart fan and said, “Would you guys consider reforming to do a one-off show at the Rockingham Festival?” which was in, I think, the October of 2016. He called me back in the summer. I phoned around January/February 2022

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to the rest of the guys and everybody was up for it, except for our original singer, Chad Brown, who had left the music business completely and just wasn’t interested at all.

So, we thought about it, and we said, “Well, we want to do it.” We’ve kind of phoned around and then Lee Small came recommended to us. So, we got together with Lee, rehearsed, did the show, which went down fantastically well.

We got such a good response and a lot of press out of it.

People said, “Well, why are you doing all this work to just do one show? You should do some more.” We sat down for a while, “If we’re going to do this, we should do an album.”

So, we then sat down, and we wrote some new songs and we had a load of songs from back in the day, which have only ever been demoed; which we wanted to update with modern production and redo. So, Second Nature was 50% songs which were written in the ‘80s but updated and then 50% brand new songs. That, in a nutshell, is the story.

I actually bought Second Nature a year ago, when it was super high to buy on eBay. Now, it’s being re-released, so...

What happened was, we had a deal with King Music Japan. Japan was always a strong territory for us, and then we signed with a label called AOR Heaven, who are based in Germany. So, it was only ever released in Europe and Japan. Presumably, just on import anywhere else. We always felt a bit shortchanged by that. Our deal with them expired 6 months ago.

So, then our current record label, which is Metalville in Germany, we said to them, “Why can’t we have a global release on this to tide us over between the last album we did with them, The Reality of Miracles?”, The next one which we’re in the middle of writing right now. So now then, we thought well, we’re going to remaster it and place in a couple of bonus tracks, just to give it a bit of added value.

So that’s that story.

Don’t Pay the Ferryman. What made you decide to cover that song? And did Chris de Burgh ever hear it?

Well. we’ve always loved the song. I can’t remember whose original idea it was, but we ticked around a few ideas and then just had a stab at it and it sounded really good. So, we said well, you know, hey, let’s go for it.

Chris de Burgh has heard it. We got hold of the keyboard player in his band, who is his musical director, and sent a copy of it to him. And he said he played it to Chris and he thought it was great. And the guy, I can’t remember his name. He wrote back to us and said he thought we’d done a fantastic job with it. We never directly spoke to Chris.

But through his music director, we had a good response and said they loved it. So that was kind of vindication enough for us.

Paperback Writer by The Beatles is a bonus track on Second Nature. What made you decide to cover that song and HIGHWIRE DAZE

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any chance anyone from the Beatles can have heard?

I would doubt that very much if they’ve heard it. I mean, we’re all huge Beatles fans. That came about because, as I’m sure you’re aware when you release an album in Japan, there’s kind of this unwritten rule that the Japan release always has a bonus track. And to be perfectly blunt, we didn’t have a spare track kicking around. And so, we thought, what should we do? Let’s do a Beatles track and we hit up Paperback Writer and decided to make it a lot of different.

And anyway, that’s why we did that.

So well, let’s go back in your music career. Working with Michael Schenker, what was that like? And do you still keep in touch with him?

It was a fantastic opportunity for me and I loved every minute of it. I got to tour the world. I ended up living in LA for 5 years from ‘88 to ‘93. I don’t keep in touch with Michael as such. Michael is a bit of an enigma. You know, he doesn’t really have a close circle of friends. He’s very much, a loner. That’s the way he likes to live his life.

I’m really good friends with everybody else in the band, from Robin McAuley and obviously, Steve. I went to see them as Michael Schenker Fest when they had all three singers. Went to see them in the UK. I saw Michael and he gave me a hug and we had a chat and everything was great.

But then I was hanging around in the dressing room with everybody else. You know, Michael has his own dressing rooms. I say he’s very much, keeps himself to himself, so, that was fine.

And then I saw them about a month ago, they toured the UK and I went to it and I saw Steve and Bodo and I met Ronnie Romero. And the new bass player who is the lucky 39

guy. I was obviously slightly jealous. I didn’t get the gig but I know, he’s a lovely guy and he does a fantastic job so, you know, that’s fair play to him. I’ve got enough on my plate with Lionheart and now, with Grand Slam. So yeah, it keeps me busy.

I saw one of your credits. You were on the Victory- Culture Killed The Native album. What did you do on that album? And what was it like working with Herman Frank and everyone in Victory?

Yeah, they were old friends when I went to join MSG. We were based out of Hanover and Germany. I lived there for about 18 months. And that’s Victory’s hometown. And so I got to know all those guys. Peter Knorn, who now manages UFO, he’s more gone into management. He was the bass player. He was a good friend. And so is Herman and Tommy Newton who, I don’t think he’s in Victory anymore. I think it’s just Herman Frank.

Robin McAuley and I did backing vocals on that. I think we went up to Wisseloord. They asked us to go and do some BV’s. I did actually play bass on another Victory album, which I think is kind of uncredited. I think it’s the one called, You Bought It, You Name It. That’s actually me playing bass on that and I did some backing vocals on it as well. Tommy Newton got me in to do that in Hanover.

I’ve done a lot of session work throughout the years. The biggest sessions I did were the Def Leppard backing vocals, I did Rock of Ages from Pyromania. And then I did the whole of the Hysteria album, I spent three months in Dublin with Leppard and Mutt Lange, doing the BV’s for Hysteria. So, that was pretty cool.

Is there any chance of Lionheart touring the States anytime soon?

You know what, we would love to. We’d absolutely love to. The first Lionheart album Hot Tonight, we actually recorded in LA. We signed to CBS. We did it at the legendary Sound City with Kevin Beamish producing, who just come off of doing REO Speedwagon. And we all absolutely loved LA. I ended up living there for 5 years. So we’d love to get out to America, but the logistics of the moment obviously, the COVID. It’s impossible to do anything much at the moment But I mean, that aside, I don’t know if there’s a promoter that would kind of take a chance on us, or we might need to get out as an opening act on a big tour or something like that. That would be perfect for us and believe me, we would be out there in a heartbeat. I’ll pack my bag and set off to the airport right now if there’s a promoter there that would make it happen for us.

And you mentioned that you’re in the midst of recording new Lionheart material, any idea if we’ll see a release in, a new release in 2022?

Well, yes, that’s the plan. We’re hoping to have it ready by late spring-early summer. I have yet to do my bass parts or backing vocals, but we’ve got the basic tracks down for 12 40

songs which I think are pretty strong.

What’s going on with Grand Slam right now?

I don’t know if you know much of the history of Grand Slam. You know it was Phil Lynott post-Thin Lizzy’s band, and Laurence Archer, who’s an old friend of mine, was the guitarist in that for most of it with Phil. And he and Phil wrote most of the songs. The band, you know, for various reasons, didn’t get a record deal. And then, of course, Phil died, and so, the whole project was forgotten about.

Laurence always wanted to get those songs out there and rerecord them in the way they should have been done. You know, these various bootlegs from then, they did some touring and there are live versions of the songs and there’s some demos, which Laurence was never really happy with. Again, it was a similar situation to the one when we reformed at Lionheart. They had about half, the Grand Slam album - which eventually came out about 18 months ago. They were half old songs but re-recored and reworked a bit - and them some new songs that Laurence had written with the current members of Grand Slam. They did that album, and then for whatever reason which had nothing to do with me, they parted company with their bass player Dave Boyce. And Laurence phoned me and asked “Would you be interested in coming on board?” And I said “Yeah!”

All the other guys in Lionheart have other projects they do - I’d been doing a band called Airrace - which that’s now been shelved. This was a nice thing for me to go straight into. They’re totally in my comfort zone. I’ve known Laurence for years and we played together on and off over the years. So I was able to slip into that and we have actually managed to do a few shows.

We did a couple of shows in France and we did one recently at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire opening up to The Dead Daisies in London, which was a fantastic gig. Except that I caught COVID at it. That was about five or six weeks ago. So I’m about two weeks post-recovery from COVID. But thank God, I’ve been fully vaccinated, and so it didn’t hit too hard. But that was fairly tough going for a few days.

So yeah, the Grand Slam thing is definitely ongoing.

We’re hoping to do a new album with that as well. Laurence has been busy writing and has been sending ideas to me.

Do you have any messages for Lionheart fans here in the States?

Well, just make a noise. Create the demand and we will be there. We’re just so glad that we have the support. Keep buying the album. Look out for the new album. And if it’s at all possible, we will be there.

https://www.facebook.com/lionheartrock https://www.facebook.com/grandslamrocks January/February 2022

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STEVE OVERLAND OF FM GOES SOUL TO SOUL WITH GROUNDBREAKER

Interview by Ken Morton - Photo by Scott Towns Steve Overland is best known for his tenure in the band FM, whose albums such as Tough It Out and Indiscreet are classics within the melodic rock AOR genre. Even in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, Overland found himself busier than ever with FM, his own solo work, as well as collaborations with others. One such meeting of the minds is Groundbreaker, with Steve Overland working with the omnipresent Alessandro Del Vecchio – and their latest magnum opus of sonic intrigue is entitled Soul To Soul – now available via Frontiers Music Srl. In this interview with Steve Overland, we discuss Groundbreaker and the making of Soul To Soul, iconic album anniversaries and other FM news, working with Robbie LaBlanc of Find Me on his own solo effort, and other rocking topics of interest! Read on…

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What initially made you decide to commit to the Groundbreaker project now that you’re two albums in?

I am always open to new things and I knew Alessandro Del Vecchio, the producer keyboard player, and Serafino Perugino from Frontiers Records, put it to me that he’d like me to make a retro 80s all-out AOR melodic rock record. It’s not quite as bluesy as these other things I do, and I quite fancied reaching back into that part of my writing career and having a go at it. That’s how it was born.

Groundbreaker was created by Serafino and Alessandro, and it’s grown from there. It’s been a pleasure doing it because they are such easy people to work with, and I’ve loved making the records.

What does that title “Soul To Soul” mean to you?

It’s one of the tunes on the record and it’s one of the songs that I didn’t have a part in writing. I co-wrote about five of the songs on this record – I co-wrote all the songs on January/February 2022

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all the first record. But I’ve been working on many other things – with the new FM record and other things that I’m doing that I didn’t really have so much time to work on this one. That’s one of Alessandro’s songs, one of his cowrites, and they sent it to me and I love the song. I think it was such a key tune on the record. That’s why the record ended up being named after that song.

What was it like recording this Groundbreaker album in the middle of a pandemic?

The funny thing is, I haven’t been able to the tour which is normally what my life is. I’m never at home. I’ve never had time to do stuff. I’ve been so busy during the pandemic. It’s been amazing. Recording different records, sessions for people, writing. It’s been a really creative time for me because it freed up time like it did for everybody. It was great making it. It’s a bit weird because obviously, you’re all in different countries, so you’re not together when you’re making the record. But with technology now, Ale sent me the backing tracks, I messed around with them, added to them, wrote all the melodies, and the titles, and sang them. You can actually make records without you being in the room together now. It came out great and I really enjoyed doing it, and it was great to keep busy during the pandemic because it made you not dwell too much on what was going on.

Alessandro Del Vecchio is in probably even more bands and projects than you are. (Steve laughs). What has it been like when you two have this meeting of the minds on this one project? What has he been like to work with?

He’s fantastic. I know Ale from a long time ago. He’s always been a friend of mine, he’s very easy, super talented in my opinion. Working with him is just easy. He’s one of the easiest people to work with. And once we set our minds to do it, we just talk to each other about the concept beyond what we want the record to be, and before you know it, he’s sending me tracks. I’ll write them, I’ll record them and it’s done. And it’s such an easy process because we’re friends and we get along so well, and we understand what we want Groundbreaker to be. It’s been a pleasure, to be honest, working with him on both records.

Frontiers just celebrated their 25th anniversary as a label. How did you initially become in contact with Frontiers?

Serafino Perugino and Mario de Riso at the labels are old fans of FM. When we reformed, we didn’t initially want to sign to another label having been with Epic CBS for so many years and then Sony and stuff. So we thought we’d try staying away from bigger labels for a while. But when HIGHWIRE DAZE

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we had a go at that, they came in and spoke to us. And obviously, with them being fans of the band and flying the flag, it was easy to work with them and they’ve been a joy to work with for me too. Serafino and Mario – I like to think of them as friends as well. Whenever I go over there, they’re great to me. All of the label are really, really great to me. They’re an easy label to work with and they are the biggest sort-of independent Rock label in Europe. They know what they’re doing. It’s great working with them.

They leave me a lot of freedom to do what I want, which is fantastic.

Being around as long as FM has, you’re always having little anniversaries of albums here and there, I’d like to just briefly talk about two of them that you’re having 30year anniversaries and just get your impressions of these albums. First of all, in 1991, Taking It To The Streets, what do you think of that album now in retrospect?

That album, bit of a strange album, if I was going to be honest with you. We just made two what I consider to be – and what the fans too considered to be – they were two iconic records for us. Tough It Out and the Indiscreet first album did very, very well for us.

With Taking It To The Streets – unfortunately, my brother, who is the co-writer of all the big songs with me and Desmond Child. Like Bad Luck and all those things we released. I wrote most of the FM stuff with my brother.

And we did a lot of extensive touring for Tough It Out. I’d been touring for about 7 months on the road without much of a break. We worked our way up to playing big iconic 43

venues which were fantastic. I think my brother realized that it was just too much, And he quit maybe halfway through Taking It To The Streets. A bit of a strange album for me. Of all the albums, this is probably the one I think about the most. And I think it was a transition period for the band. Once he’d gone, I played some lead guitar and we had a couple of guest lead guitar players in.

The band, in my opinion, if I’m being totally honest with you, lost their way a little bit, on the back end of that album. I’m glad you picked it because I would never talk about it. I think in retrospect, it was the band trying to find the way forward after my brother left, where were we going to go. And then we did Aphrodisiac after that. We had Andy Barnett join the band. He played with Hall & Oates, Corey Hart and loads of big people. I knew Andy from years ago. And we found our identity again, slightly different from what it was on the early albums. But we found our way again after that. Taking It To The Streets was an in-between record, when things got thrown up in the air a bit because my brother decided he didn’t want to carry on.

And Aphrodisiac celebrates its 30th Anniversary in 2022…

I was very proud of that record because it did really well in Japan for us. We had murmurings in Japan, but it kind of launched us to a top 20 band in Japan. It was great because we had a new lineup and started to discover new territories. I think it was a strong album. It had a lot of songs that still make it into the set, and it was an album that we were proud of after the not so assured Taking It To The Streets.

It really launched us back to where we hoped we’d be.

2020 was a very strange year for everybody. And during this very strange year, FM released Synchronized, and you also released a solo album entitled Scandalous. Do you feel that these albums received the proper attention?

Being that it was such a strange year and you really couldn’t do anything else?

To be honest, they did well. Synchronized did really well in territories like Switzerland, which FM, we played there a couple of times. But we found that people were looking for music because they couldn’t go and watch music, and they wanted to be entertained. They couldn’t do anything.

People were hunting around for stuff they may want to listen to, and Synchronized did very well in the territories that we never normally thought we’d sell it. And Scandalous was an album I had finished and I just said to the record company, spoke to Khalil at the record company, I said look, I don’t want to just sit back and not give people 44

music, people are sitting there wanting to be entertained.

They’re going to want to hear new stuff and although we can’t tour it, so you can’t really expect your sales to be quite what they were if you’re not out on the road. You can’t, not for rock music anyway. I just wanted to try and make things as normal as I could.

I decided and the band decided that it was best to choose to keep going. We just finished another album, we’re in the middle of a batch of dates at the moment with FM. I’m back out tomorrow with them. I’ve got five more dates on this little tour. We just wanted to put that out as a stopgap record to let people know that we’re not just sitting back and getting fat and not doing anything. It was well-received. It got great reviews, it did the job and we’re playing those songs, were playing Synchronized and Superstar and some songs off of that on this little batch of dates just to give it that kind of little thing that it didn’t have because we couldn’t play them live when it came out. The answer to your question in brief, which I’m not very good at doing answers in brief, is that they probably suffered a little bit sales-wise because you can’t promote them properly. You can’t be seen. But still, I think it was a wise thing to put them out to keep fans and people that follow your music aware that you’re still making music.

I’ve interviewed Robbie LaBlanc a few months ago about a solo album which you participated on entitled Double Trouble. And he told me that when he received the demos from you, he was like, “How am I going to top what Steve Overland did?” What was it like working with Robbie on his solo project?

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Fantastic! Robbie’s a lovely guy. Very easy to work with.

They were just demos and I remember getting an email from him saying something very similar, “How am I supposed to sing these songs after this?” And I just said to him, “That’s just my interpretation of the songs.” I wrote songs and I said, “Just be Robbie LaBlanc. That’s what it is. It’s a Robbie LaBlanc record, you’ll do great on it!”

And he did. The record’s a great record. I’m hoping really soon, we’ve not gotten started yet, that I’m going to be writing another one for him. It’s really lovely I got to work with him and it came out as a great record. I was really proud of it and he sang fantastically well on it, so he had nothing to worry about.

You’re currently on the road with FM. Would you like to do a tour with Groundbreaker somewhere down the line?

Absolutely. I think before lockdown, from the first album, we talked about doing a few festivals in Europe. Maybe the Frontiers Festival which they staged yearly in Italy, which FM has done a few times – and just giving it some life because there’s such strong records. Robert Sall couldn’t do this record because he had other commitments and couldn’t commit to it when we wanted to do it. But

Robert’s a friend of mine, I keep in touch with him all the time. Whichever line up – they’re are all great players, and it would be an honor to go out on the road and do it.

I think the songs are so strong. We’d have a killer setlist from the two records. I’d love to do it and I’m sure now that the world’s fixing itself a bit, we’re getting back to normal. I’m pretty sure that it will be something that we talk about in the future, at least I hope it is anyway.

Do you have any messages for your fans out here in the States who are reading this now?

Absolutely. Just thank you very much for being patient through all of this. We haven’t been out to the States to play shows enough in the last five years, and that’s not because we don’t want it to. We’re going to rectify that in the future. Thanks for your support and all the music that I make and that FM makes. Without you, I wouldn’t be able to do this. Thank you for being there for us and hopefully, we’re going to be there for you very soon.

www.facebook.com/Groundbreakerband www.fmofficial.com/fmofficial/index.html

Liquid Music Group LLC

Booking now

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Rocking with VEGA Anarchy and Unity In These Pandemic Days

Interview by Ken Morton Vega from the UK has been busy in the midst of these pandemnic days. First releasing Grit Your Teeth at the very onset of the Covid-19 era when touring would not be possible, the lads in Vega decided to keep recording and creating, with the results being the amazing songs found within Anarchy and Unity. Now available worldwide via Frontiers Music Srl, Anarchy and Unity presents Vega in their finest hour, unveiling melodic rock tapestries to keep us all company as the Covid variants rage on. Highwire Daze recently interviewed lead vocalist Nick Workman to find out more about how Vega is rocking our world in these turbulant times!

First of all, congratulations for having not one, but two albums out in the middle of a crazy pandemic.

That’s awesome.

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Right. Yeah, a bit cocky, isn’t it? But it wasn’t intended that way.

So let’s talk about the new one first. Is there any overall story or concept behind that title, Anarchy and unity?

Yeah, it’s kind of ironic, really, because lyrically, the album isn’t really COVID-related whatsoever. Because it was obviously written and compiled during COVID times, it just made sense. Originally, I had the idea of calling it Anarchy. Because literally not even because of COVID but because I had this idea of the Vega logo with the anarchy “A” at the end of it. Yeah, it was like a great idea. Literally the idea of recording the album there. But then obviously, COVID got worse and worse, really, didn’t it? But then there were certain things that sort of unified people together. And the album concept and the cover concept came together with the hand. Well, it was going to come together and we January/February 2022

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couldn’t really get it to look any good just as Anarchy.

We couldn’t find a cover that we’re happy with. And that’s why I said, “Well, look, I googled symbols for unity.”

And originally I wanted the album cover not even to have Anarchy and Unity written on it. So the clenched fist is a sign, is the symbol for unity. So with the Anarchy “A” and just the Unity clenched fist, that was the album title for me. But obviously, some people say, “Yeah, you got to have it written down there as well. Most people won’t put two and two together.”

So that was it. It wasn’t really about the COVID thing although it came together with the positive side of things where people became more unified about how to behave, and what to do.

What was it like to record this album in the middle of a pandemic, and all the social unrest in the world? And thought I would throw social unrest there...

Yeah, you know what? I think with the social unrest, if you went looking for it, you’d find it. But for the most part, especially here in the UK, people would stuck to it, they wore the masks when they’re supposed to be. You had the odd dickhead who didn’t, but you’re always going to come across that. But with recording the album, we all kind of recorded our own bits in our own studios. But when it came to the vocals, having previously recorded vocals myself on the Only Human album, it was the most painful experience of my life to do it on your own, because you’re so anal about every single word, syllable, everything like that. So I did my vocals for the most part at Pete’s studio. And that was a lot of sort of a bear experience, because you’ve got someone else saying, “No, mate. Seriously, that’s absolutely fine. You don’t need to do it three more times!”

So the recording of the album and it was kind of easy.

We just did it at home in our pants, basically. And that’s the English grammar where pants are underpants, not the American for pants, which would be normal.

Let’s talk about a few of the songs on the album. And I’m probably going to stick with the singles. First of all, Beautiful Lie. Tell me about that song and the inspiration behind it.

It’s about just being honest with yourself, where you’re going and where you want to go. And there’s a line in verse one “where you land this where you stand when you take a leap of faith.” And I think that’s one of Jim’s favorite lines on the album. And that literally is just about… look, “whatever you do, wherever you are, you’re the only one to blame. Don’t blame anyone HIGHWIRE DAZE

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else for things that you don’t do, or things that you do.

You’ve got to take responsibility for the own risks that you take and the risks that you don’t take,” really. And that kind of formed the basis of the song and Beautiful Lie. I’m very much one of those not having any regrets.

But I’m also sensible with what I do. I’m realistic with what I do. But you can have dreams, can’t you? Without feeling like you’ve missed out on something. Because yeah, as a kid growing up when I first discovered rock music, obviously, I had dreams of being a millionaire and all this sort of materialistic side of things. But then you start to realize as you grow up, those would be awesome. But having done music as a job, before it’s no fun when you’re depending on music to pay your mortgage because suddenly it’s not fun anymore.

Suddenly it’s a necessity.

Sooner or Later, let’s talk about that song.

We all come across idiots in our lives. They talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk. And it is really is about how karma will catch up with you at some point. I mean, there’s a couple on the album that have that kind of theme running through it. Because I think if you look COVID wise, whichever political standpoint you come from, I don’t think any particular country could say that their world leader has represented themselves or their country particularly well.

And really, Karma is a bitch, and it will catch up with people in the end. And that’s essentially Sooner or Later. But the problem is when you write lyrics. Well, for 47

me, when I write lyrics, I kind of have this mini-movie in my head. So although, I can say that about the song, there’s also a positive theme running through it. Once again, “Sooner or later, we all back down, we all realized sooner or later, lovers and haters will sacrifice”.

It’s still about taking a risk, it’s still about the fact that you never get something for nothing. There’s always something has to be done to get somewhere. There are the lucky people who seem to get good fortune handed to them on a silver platter. And that pisses us all off, doesn’t it? Let’s face it.

But it’s kind of like that. So the problem is, yeah, sometimes I have multiple themes running through my head when I write a song. So there might be the odd sort of an album where you might pinpoint it out and say, “What’s that about?” I say, “I have no idea, mate.”

It just sounded good at the time. (Much laughter) The previous Vega album Grit Your Teeth was released in 2020 the pandemic. How did it feel to have new music out to the fans during that particular time?

You know what? It would have hurt a lot more had we not done the new album Anarchy and Unity, because if Grit Your Teeth had been the album that we’re about to go and promote. It’d be like, “Oh, man, that album is so old now to us.” So it was frustrating, obviously, at the time, because like everybody else, we had to cancel everything. Because we were all in the same position, it was an even playing field. So it’s not like someone was getting a foothold over us or anything like that. It was kind of one of those things that you just had to shrug your shoulders and just accept it for what it is. And it’s a moment in history, it’s a moment in time. And when you have people dropping dead around you from all these diseases from COVID especially, you can’t really bitch and moan about it in all fairness. So we got over it very quickly.

Has Vega ever played here in the States? Or would you like to in future days?

No. We would love to. Absolutely love to. I guess the biggest problem is, though, is no one can afford to sort of lose money. But for us to be able to play at the States, we need a promoter to say, “Your expenses are covered. Here’s your plane ticket. we’ve got hotel. You’ve got food, and you booked.” Because that’s essentially, if we do a gig in Europe, depending on the size of the festival, sometimes you get all your flights or your travel covered, you get your hotel, etc. And here’s your fee. But then somewhere where we haven’t played before, like the States, it’s not like we’d be chasing a big fee. We’d be saying, “Look, we obviously 48

want to break new territory. As long as we don’t come away having to sort of like make the family not eat for a month.”

Because this is the other thing, we’re all at an age where we’ve all got family and kids. As a young band in their late teens, early 20s probably still live at home with mom and dad. They don’t care really. They can take as many risks as they like, but we’ve kind of passed that stage, unfortunately.

What’s the best and worst part about playing in a band with two brothers? And you’ve been doing that for like, 10 years now.

Yeah, well, the thing is before Vega, I was also in a band called Kick. And there were two brothers in that band as well. So I’m very used to working with brothers, but twins are a different scenario. Because yeah, I’ll be honest with you, the first 5 years of Vega, excuse my French but they were a fucking nightmare.

They really were. Oh my god. We used to have this joke, because I would sometimes say to like them, “God, you guys just made me want to find God.” Because I’ll just be looking for an answer for their behavior. So sometimes when they piss me off now, they’re like, “Oh, God, Nick, please don’t go looking for God.” It’s bad if I say to them, I need to find God. It’s not that I’m a religious person, it was just a oh, God! But since they both got married, and they both got kids and families, yeah, they’re different blokes now.

But they still have the stories. Oh, my God, they have the stories. As twins, they have some stories that legalJanuary/February 2022

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ly, they probably shouldn’t share with people. I’ll leave it there. (Much laughter) What do you hope that the rest of 2021 and 2022 brings for you and for Vega?

COVID free touring. We know we got COVID to deal with. Touring Europe now because of Brexit is a nightmare for us. It really is a nightmare. But if everything goes to plan, yeah, we just got lots of touring to do and lots of catching up to do with people. So you can’t really talk about record sales anymore, because streaming has kind of destroyed that. So I think you know what?

I’ve always said to people, that the currency for being in Vega is enjoyment. And we all completely stand by that. So I just want to still be loving what I do, because the six of us in this band are so passionate about it. But as long as you’ve got that, it doesn’t matter if you’re not raking in the money. If you’re enjoying it, what more can you ask for?

Let me say that firstly, does anyone have a spare bag of cash so that we can come over and play live for you?

Yeah. You know what? Break in America is one of those things that everyone wants to do. But your country is just so big. You can’t even begin to think about it. So all I would ask our American fans and friends to do is share Vega with people because I think we’re the kind of music that we’re undiscovered and if people put on a Vega song, and play it to someone, they love it. Because our music is filled with all the classic elements of your Bon Jovi’s, your Def Leppard’s, your Whitesnake’s, your Guns N’ Roses. Yeah, that’s all the ingredients of what we make. So there’s going to be something in the Vega music that you like and that your friends are going to like.

So please just share the name and the music far and wide. Download it illegally for all I care. Just share it.

Do you have any messages for your fans out here in the States who are reading this right now?

https://www.vegaofficial.co.uk/

Promoting the all new full length album, "Down In Wuhan" out August 28, 2021.

World-wide on all major platforms

Wed. Feb 16. 2022 8:30 PM WHISKY A GO GO ( with GRINDER BLUES, Featuring dug Pinnick of KXM and King's X.)

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In the Groove with Rene Camacho: Bass Player of the Band “War.” Interview by Kim Crain Photos Compliments of Rene Camacho

PART ONE I had the opportunity to sit down with Rene Camacho a versatile, powerhouse on bass! From the recording studio to the stage!

Rene, bass player of the super group, War. Originally called Eric Burdon and War. During the late 60’s early 70’s, War was a mix of elements of rock, funk, jazz, calypso, psychedelia and reggae. If you have a few hours to spare you might be able to listen to all their hits, War is best known for, “Lowrider”, ”Why Cant We Be Friends”, ”Cisco Kid”, ”The World is a Ghetto,” and their first hit with Burdon, “Spill the Wine,” which got the band their start. The Press after their first show at Hyde Park in London, said, ‘Burdon and War were the best band we have ever seen’!

War had nine Gold, and two platinum, records. Their album, The World is a Ghetto, was Billboard’s best-selling album of the year in 1973. The band transcended racial and cultural barriers with a multi-ethnic line up.

Rene Camacho youngest and newest member of the band has been playing in War for seven years accompanied by the only original in the band, Lonnie Leroy Jordan, a founding member!

Kim: Rene at what age did you decide to play bass, and do you play any other instruments?

Rene: I started pretty early. I started playing trombone when I was five years old.

That pretty much took me though Elementary, Jr., High, and High School. It was probably my senior year in high school that I started learning bass! I now have been playing the bass for 30 years! I did receive my degree in college on trombone, but I decided to stick with bass and just focus on one instrument.

Kim: What made you come to Los Angeles from Tucson Arizona?

Rene: Basically, it was the amount of work that was available compared to Tuscan. I thought it might be better coming to Los Angeles to a bigger community.

For musicians and arts in general. Tucson had a really good cultural music scene for the size of its city, but Los Angeles 50

War : from Left to Right: Stuart Ziff - Guitar, Scott Martin -Sax / Flute, Marcos Reyes- Percussion, Lonnie Jordan Keys/ Bandleader, Sal Rodriguez- Drums, Rene Camacho - Bass, Stanley Behrens -harmonica

gave me a better opportunity to record, that’s what I really wanted to do! I really wanted to get into the studio musician scene! Which in the 90’s was actually pretty good.

Ever since it has been tapering off a little bit, but I have been super grateful to have been a part of so many different recording projects.

I always wanted to play different genres of music, so when I first moved here I started out playing with the Latin scene, with Salsa bands, as well as R&B gigs. And the funny thing is that neither side, the R&B side did not know I was a Latin bass player, and the Latin side did not know I was an R&B bass player. So that was kind of crazy. But, eventually I moved on to other styles including Rock, country and of course Jazz too!

Kim: Wow! That’s really great!

So who else have you worked with since you’ve been in Los Angeles, and how many albums have you been featured on?

Rene: I would say album wise maybe 50 to 60 records I have done that people would know about! I am so grateful I was able to be a part of these phenomenal projects. They all range from different genres of music. I have recorded with January/February 2022

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Poncho Sanchez (Latin Jazz), Big Mountain (Reggae), Raul Malo singer of the Mavericks, Rickie Lee Jones. I recorded seven projects with Ry Cooder. I was introduced to him by one of the singers from El Chicano.

I have recorded with Michael Bublé. Kevin Eubanks from The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. I recorded three different projects with him, that’s where I met guitar luthier and teacher James Grover. Robi Draco Rosa used to be a member of Menudo (boy band). Draco wrote all the hits in the Ricky Martin days, “She Bangs”, “Livin’ la Vida Loca”, and “Maria”. I have been playing on his projects since 2012.

Kim: You’ve also played with Tito Puente, Sergio Mendez, and Linda Ronstadt.

Who have been some of the most influential musicians in your career?

Rene: I would say “Miles Davis.” He pretty much changed the direction of jazz at least three times on his own. From Bee Bop, to cool Jazz, and all the modern stuff that’s out now a days! He was so influential in the direction of where music was going.

As far as a bass player, I would say, “Marcus Miller.” I think he started playing with Miles Davis when he was 16 years old. Marcus wrote and produced a lot of Luther Vandross music as well.

Rene Camacho & Linda Ronstadt

Kim: Rene how did you end up playing with War? Rene: It turned out that I knew a lot of the musicians in the group War. We have collaborated on other projects and other gigs. Out of the blue, the bass player of War at that time, Pancho Tomaselli, was looking for a sub for a couple of gigs. He was going out on the road with another project, so he called me and asked me if I would be interested. I said sure! I grew up with this music. One of my favorite bands growing up! Of course I would love to play this music.

Eventually Poncho got really busy with his own project.

The band asked me if I would like to be a full time musician with them. I have now been with the band for seven years!

Kim: Tell us your 5 top qualities in a drummer: Rene: First one is groove. You have to have the ability to groove.

I never came from the bass standpoint, I never thought of myself as a soloist bassist.

I always just wanted to lay-back in the back of the band and groove. With a great drummer you can do this all night! You can play “James Brown” three notes, you can play that for an hour. I love it! Cause you’re so in the groove.

Also professionalism. Being prepared for a gig. Showing up on time. Being open minded about music. Be open to other ideas the band may have.

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Rene Camacho & Lonnie Leroy Jordan Kim: What kind of bass do you like to use on the road.

Rene: For electric bass I’ve been with Fodera, a company from Brooklyn since 1998, and I also use Fender Jazz basses quite a bit.

Check out War.com / Renecamocho.com Part Two will be in Highwire Daze #141 out 03/18/21!

Reach Kim Crain at kimcrain.com www.facebook.com/kim. crain.9231 www.instagram.com/kimcrainmusic 51

The Metal Assault 12-year Anniversary Festival - Meet The Bands!

Los Angeles, California based metal blog turned record label Metal Assault will be celebrating the 12-year anniversary of its February 13, 2010 inception with a festival, February 12 and 13 2022 at Transplants Brewing, a brewery plus live music venue in Palmdale CA. In addition, Metal Assault is also hosting a pre-party on Friday February 11, at Supply and Demand in Long Beach CA. The weekend will feature an eclectic assortment of 22 bands, including several representatives from the Metal Assault Records roster, as well as some non-roster bands that Metal Assault has supported and worked with over the years.

Metal Assault owner Aniruddh “Andrew” Bansal says about the festival weekend: “I’ve devoted the past twelve years of my life to promoting heavy metal, and I find it only fitting to celebrate this 12-year anniversary of the launch of Metal Assault, with the biggest event I’ve curated till date. I’m delighted to have put together a lineup of bands that people will most certainly enjoy from start to finish, across the entire weekend.

And what’s more, in collaboration with Transplants Brewing, Metal Assault is launching its very own beer!”

Here are interviews with some of the bands performing at The Metal Assault 12th Anniversary Festival! (See ad in this issue for more information!)

BONE MAGGOT Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in your band, and how long the band has been together.

We are Bone Maggot, a groove metal band from Ventura, California. We have Mike Klein on vocals and guitar, Jay Rivera on guitar, Kameron Klein on bass and Lance McNelly on drums. We’ve been pounding eardrums for about 6+ years now.

How did you wind up being connecting with Metal Assault Records?

We had just finished recording our most recent video “Pig Farmer” which was to be the lead single on an album we were working on. This time around we felt the need to push this one further so we were seeking the help of a label to get things done right and get it in front of some more eyes. After some calls and emails, Mike was contacted by Andrew from MAR. After some conversation, Andrew was ready to take us on even though our record wasn’t quite finished yet. We totally appreciate him taking a chance on us.

What is the name of your current or upcoming album or EP 52

and what inspired the title?

Our new album ended up being titled “Internal Hate”, released by MAR this past November. The title is inspired by how crazy the world is and how quickly it’s become out of control. We just feel that’s how most of society feels anymore.

What are you looking forward to the most about playing the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest?

Absolutely stoked to be on board for the 12 year anniversary for Metal Assault and definitely looking forward to jamming with so many of our label mates.

Select two songs you might be playing at the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest and what inspired the lyrics.

A little insight on a couple of our songs, “Pig Farmer” which is our lead single about a wealthy Canadian pig farmer, Robert Pickton, and a likeness of his story. Look it up… it’s pretty crazy. Another is Sunshine Manor, it’s inspired by a mental hospital in our hometown that was surrounded by a lot of tales and rumors when we were just kids.

What could one expect from your live show at the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest?

You can always expect a damn good time with Bone Maggot.

We can’t wait for y’all to catch our brand and feel some of the passion (or hate) that we put into our music.

What’s up next for your band after the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest?

We have a show directly after on Feb. 19th at the Whisky A-Go-Go opening up for Metalachi and a new video in the works coming your way very shortly, teaming up with our producer Addasi at Fuel Music Studios as always to bring one more song from “Internal Hate” to life.

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Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest?

It will be a great opportunity to strengthen ties with the label and its bands as well as all the followers of MAR’s work, as well as bringing our fans and friends together with all of this.

I’m sure it will be a memorable night.

CLAUSTROFOBIA Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in your band, and how long the band has been together.

My name is Marcus Demetrius D’Angelo and I’m the founder/guitarist/vocalist of Claustrofobia. I founded Claustrofobia in 1994 in Brazil when I was just 13 years old. Since then, the band has never had a break, we released some demo tapes in the 90’s but the first official full-length album was officially released in the year 2000. It’s basically 28 years of activities and it can sounds old, but we were just kids when we started this band, and we still feel young enough with the same passion for Metal. The tank never got empty.

How did you wind up being connecting with Metal Assault Records?

We’ve been based in Las Vegas since 2018, we were looking for a serious record label to release our seventh album. I’ve been talking to a lot of people, from small to major record labels, so one day talking with my friend Dylan (Beekeeper’s drummer) I asked him about MAR. He made the connection between I and Andrew, so I started to follow MAR’s work and I identified myself with the work posture and the way how Andrew faces the art and the underground. When I had my first conversation with Andrew, I stopped looking for another label and here we are.

What is the name of your current or upcoming album or EP and what inspired the title?

Our new album is called “UNLEECHED” and it’s actually a word that doesn’t exist but that carries a concept. All our albums reflected a lot of our personal life and the moment, so this one could not be different, in a short term, it means something like: “all the leeches were removed from our lives” which can mean all kinds of bad things like addictions, bad thoughts, bad friends and/or things that can put us down...but at the same time the meaning of cure. In the medicine they can use leeches to cure sickness. So, this title can make people think about a lot of things from different point of view.

Freedom and cure are the vibes of this album for us. It is finally the beginning of a personal and spiritual regeneration.

What are you looking forward to the most about playing the HIGHWIRE DAZE

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Select two songs you might be playing at the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest and what inspired the lyrics.

Possibly we will play the two recently released singles that will feature on the new album. “Neuro Massacre” is a typical self-destructive and wrathful thought, which comes from unresolved experiences that can come from the family’s upbringing or simply bad influences or weaknesses of the spirit, it’s an abstract lyric that reports well the harm that thinking can bring to the life and destroy our emotional making us unbalanced. “Corrupted Self” has an epic solo by Marc Rizzo (ex Soulfly/ Cavalera Conspiracy) and the lyrics are more about the person criticizing the corruption of the leaders a lot but in fact he is corrupted himself. It was a lyric more inspired by what happens in the third world, in this case Brazil.

People attack each other and don’t get that they are enslaved by corruption.

What could one expect from your live show at the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest?

We will 100% delivery of pure Brazilian Brutal Metal style and we hope to receive this energy back. I wanna see everybody having fun and planting new seeds for the new future.

After two crazy years without shows we need support the Metal more than ever.

What’s up next for your band after the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest?

We are currently finalizing all the details for the official release of the album on March 11th. We have plans for two video clips and we’re talking to MAR about some release party/shows for the new album and an extensive tour in the middle of 2022. We can’t wait to make things happen. See you in the pit.

DAWN FADES Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in your band, and how long the band has been together.

I’m Sam Sherwood and I’m the vocalist and primary song-writer for Dawn Fades. I formed the band in 2016 in Los Angeles. There’s been a core group of us for the majority of the time including Nate Hertweck (Guitar), Scott Quist (Drums) and Markus Erren Pardiñas (Bass), with Mike Wright joining on guitar late in 2021.

How did you wind up being connecting with Metal Assault Records?

We had played several Metal Assault gigs around LA and became friendly with Andrew. We knew he was a fan of the band so when we heard he was starting a label we hit him up about putting out our record. The stars aligned timing-wise and our self-titled debut was the 1st release on Metal Assault Records.

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What is the name of your current or upcoming album or EP and what inspired the title?

In September 2021 we released our second album “Ode”.

The title is pulled from a song and poem from the album that is in 2 parts. It is about love, family and loss.

What are you looking forward to the most about playing the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest?

We love Transplants Brewing! Seriously one of the best venues around run by some of the best people. They always treat us great and the stage setup is top notch. We are very much looking forward to seeing our friends in the other bands and making new ones.

Select two songs you might be playing at the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest and what inspired the lyrics.

“Ode Pt. 2” is about loss in relationships. The bitter-sweet knowledge that all things must come to an end eventually.

“Lean” is about how easily people can be convinced to sell their voices. The way the system tosses lies to the masses and they are gobbled up.

the LA area for years. He had always been a great friend and business person, so when Covid hit and he started amping up the record label aspect of Metal Assault, it seemed like a no brainer to hop onboard.

What is the name of your current or upcoming album or EP and what inspired the title?

Thanks to Metal Assault we rereleased our album CONTINUANCE on CD last year and we will be releasing our next new record with Metal Assault on vinyl, CD and more!

What are you looking forward to the most about playing the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest?

I’m excited for the anniversary show because I get to see lots of great friends and also lots of amazing bands!

Select two songs you might be playing at the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest and what inspired the lyrics.

We will definitely play the songs “7th Circle” and “The Stench”. We have incredible music videos to both of those songs that we are extremely proud of!

What could one expect from your live show at the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest?

We plan to tear the house down with an emotional, cathartic set. Very Intense. Playing live is what we live for.

What’s up next for your band after the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest?

Going to finish writing the new album, record it, and out it out on Metal Assault Records!

What’s up next for your band after the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest?

We are already working on songs for our 3rd album and have a few LA area shows booked. We are working on a possible mini tour up the coast in the spring time (Covid willing)

FORTRESS OF EMPYREAN

FERMENTOR Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in your band, and how long the band has been together.

Hey this is Dylan Marks, drummer of Fermentor, we are a 2-piece instrumental technical metal band. We have been putting out music since 2008, we have many releases but are extremely excited to be partnered up with Metal Assault for the next one!

How did you wind up being connecting with Metal Assault Records?

We became familiar with Metal Assault long ago because it’s owner, Andrew Bonsal, had been booking great shows in 54

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in your band, and how long the band has been together.

Javier Cortez, vocalist/guitarist. 2022 marks 10 years for Fortress of Empyrean.

How did you wind up being connecting with Metal Assault Records?

Andrew actually booked us to play one of his shows at The Slide Bar in Fullerton in 2018. Since then we just saw Metal Assault grow more and more. It seem inevitable that we would cross paths once again and we did.

What is the name of your current or upcoming album or EP and what inspired the title?

Very good question. We are actually in preproduction and entering the studio at the end of January. We have a couple January/February 2022

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contact and booked more LA-area shows with him throughout the years and eventually signed with his label in 2021.”

working titles at the moment. Nothing set in stone just yet.

What are you looking forward to the most about playing the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest?

We look forward to playing outside of our bubble that is the LA area. A weekend of awesome bands is definitely exciting.

We look forward to doing what we do in Palmdale.

Select two songs you might be playing at the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest and what inspired the lyrics.

We are currently working on a setlist, but I can probably say “Fall in Line” will be on there. Lyrics are about the control and manipulation in society. Another song we will most likely throw in the mix is “Savior”. The song is basically about a bad relationship.

What could one expect from your live show at the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest?

You can expect us to do what we always do, play our asses off and have fun while doing it.

What’s up next for your band after the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest?

Well like I said before, we I’ll be taking a break from the studio to play this fest. So after this show we get back to work and finish up recording the album.

MALISON

What is the name of your current or upcoming album or EP and what inspired the title?

Mario: “Death’s Embrace” is the name of our second album, released via MAR on 9/3/2021. I don’t exactly remember what inspired the name for that song, but I knew I wanted it to be the title track. I pitched the idea to the guys and they all agreed.

What are you looking forward to the most about playing the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest?

Eddie: Seeing “Patches” the cat at Transplants Brewing Company, of course! But also jamming out with fellow label mates and getting to hang out with the fans afterwards.”

Select two songs you might be playing at the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest and what inspired the lyrics.

Steven: We’ll definitely be playing “Oblivion” off our new record. The lyrics are about two empires fighting under a volcano, so driven to destroy one another, not realizing both can survive if they work together. “Nightmare Pursuit” is off our first album. The focus is on a hunter obsessed with claiming a monster to the point that it’s consuming his life. “ What could one expect from your live show at the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest?

Nick: High energy, high speed and a showcase of our musicianship. We have a lot of fun on stage and hope you guys will too!”

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in your band, and how long the band has been together.

Mario: I’m Mario Lovio and I play guitar. Steven Rondina is our vocalist and bassist. Nick Mafi is our drummer, and Eddie Spade is our second lead guitar player and newest member. We’ve been a band since 2014 but this particular line-up has been together since March 2020.

What’s up next for your band after the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest?

Mario: We definitely want to get back out on the road and tour as much as possible! We’re eyeing the Pacific Northwest as well as returning to cities like Denver, Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Phoenix, etc. If all goes well, we might end up with some East Coast dates before the year is over.

How did you wind up being connecting with Metal Assault Records?

Mario: We met Andrew Bansal after playing a show in Long Beach in 2016. It was our first show outside of San Diego and Andrew wrote us a great review for his website, back before Metal Assault was a record label! We kept in

Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions!

Malison: Thank you all as well!

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Sea Snakes and Through The Oculus interview next Please turn the page 55

the show we are going to work on the new album. So far it looks to be a bit darker and heavier than the last Ep. Doom and the Occult are weaved into alot of the new stuff.

SEA OF SNAKES Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in your band, and how long the band has been together.

I’m Jim, I play guitar and write songs. We’ve been together since early 2020.

How did you wind up being connecting with Metal Assault Records?

We knew about the Metal Assault blog and have been in bands reviewed on Metal Assault.com. So when the Metal Assault label was announced, it was right about the time that we we’re recording our first EP. What is the name of your current or upcoming album or EP and what inspired the title?

The EP we have out right now is called ‘World on Fire,’ which, no matter how you slice it, the world is becoming more and more chaotic. Covid had just hit when we were recording the ep. It seemed fitting.We just wanted to make some shit that people would want to turn up, while they’re driving, or to drown out their boss yelling at them.

What are you looking forward to the most about playing the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest?

We’re gonna be the loudest band there...hands down. We want to peel the paint off the walls.

Select two songs you might be playing at the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest and what inspired the lyrics.

We have a couple new ones...’Start A War’ is our newest, it’s a burner... and we have ‘Get the Gun’ which is a slower prodding tune influnced by Ozzy’s ordeal with the satanic panic crowd of the eighties. We live in LA with a lot of shootings and crime so thats an influence too.

What could one expect from your live show at the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest?

It looks like the entire line-up is stacked with bands that are gonna rip the roof off, we aspect a lot of killer die-hard fans to have a great fucking time. Something they’ll remember for a long time...something they’ll wanna come back to next year!

What’s up next for your band after the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest?

Working on new songs to record this year...immediately after 56

THROUGH THE OCULUS Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in your band, and how long the band has been together.

Sarah Gamblin, lead vocals, Randy Lee, guitar and back up vocals, Lauren Weatherford, Bass Guitar, Eric Freeman, Drums. The band has been together for 2 1/2 years.

How did you wind up being connecting with Metal Assault Records?

Randy knew about Metal Assault for a few years and liked the hard work and passion for metal music. The band decided to reach out with a submission and from there we built our relationship.

What are you looking forward to the most about playing the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest?

We are excited to meet more bands on our label and perform at Transplants once again. And to build new connections with everyone involved. (Hint Orion Cymbals which Eric is a big fan of)....

Select two songs you might be playing at the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest and what inspired the lyrics.

Most definitely “Lilith and Lazarus” as it has become our popular song. The lyrics are inspired from biblical transcriptions about Lilith. Lyric description, (the demonization of women trying to gain ownership of their own bodies and being betrayed by “godly” men/beings). Another one will be a song that is on our next album. Come to the festival to find out the name and hear this new sound of TTO. What could one expect from your live show at the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest?

Lots of windmills and 100% raw sound.

What’s up next for your band after the Metal Assault 12 Year Anniversary Fest?

We will be hitting the studio to record our 2nd album. Prepare for new music videos. Also we are hosting a 80s themed show at Frogees in Apple Valley, CA March 5th.

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Cole Gallagher & The Lesser Saints The Viper Room, West Hollywood, CA January 14, 2022

Review by Ken Morton - Photo by Jack Lue The first time this reviewer saw Cole Gallagher was opening for The Plain White T’s at The Canyon Club in Augora Hills. Now making his way to the notorious Viper Room on the Sunset Strip, Cole Gallagher and his band The Lesser Saints presented a star making performance on a Friday night. Opening with the rocking refrains of Lines In The Sky, Gallagher and company gained the attention of The Viper Room early arrivals at once with their vibrantly memorable songs.

Cole Gallagher is a massively talented singer / songwriter first and foremost, his easy going stage presence, persuasive acoustic guitar playing, and exhilarating vocals leaving an indelible impression. And what a thrilling band Gallagher has with The Lesser Saints! Evan Denisiu is a standout on lead guitar, and can really shred it into the stratosphere when unleashing a solo. Jared Rodriguez presented a whole lot of imagination with his glorious keyboard interludes. And I have to say The Lesser Saints’ rhythm section is tight and slamming, courtesy of Mars Horner on bass and Nick Anoci on drums.

One of the highlights of the show was Chatting Through Steel, Cole Gallagher’s recent single, whose moody refrains reverberated throughout The Viper Room. Cole’s debut single Smoking Gun was also unveiled, with it’s blistering lyrics, searing melodies and super infectious “la-da-dah” choruses reigning supreme.

And one thing for sure, Cole Gallagher & The Lesser Saints really know how place their own imaginative stamp on cover songs. Watching Cole and his crew channel Nirvana in a seething version of About A Girl was wondrous to behold. Towards the end, extra time was tacked onto their set, so Cole Gallagher & The Lesser Souls unleashed an absolutely fiery rendition of Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynrd, sent into the stratosphere by brilliant vocals, absolutely mesmorzing guitar solos, hypnotic keys, and a rhythm section that kicked ass and left you wanting a whole lot more!

With a show this dynamic, it will be exciting to see and hear what the future has in store for Cole Gallagher & The Lesser Saints. Stay tuned!

www.instagram.com/colegallaghermusic/ HIGHWIRE DAZE

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EVILIZATION Profane 2021

DOKKEN Live Review

by Tony F. Corpse

The Whisky, December 18, 2021

by Tony F. Corpse

It felt like a dystopian evening. The grit and grime in the Hol lywood ether dirtying my aura. Undeterred, i continued on my mission undauted. For i was here to witness the glorious majesty of Dokken. Once sequestered inside, the house lights dimmed and an ominous shudder fell upon the unwary as the intro to “Tooth & Nail” began. This version of the group i wasn’t familiar with. Axe weilding shredologist Jon Levin manned the weapon like George Lynch’s alien doppleganger. Even manuevering like him.

Sir Don pledged allegiance to the sordid and the sleazy as well as the lovelorn and the enamored. Remarkable hits like “In My Dreams” and “Alone Again” were delivered with vocal clarity and enunciation yet in a much lower pitch due to recent health issues. Still, the intent was doggedly determined. Proper credence must be paid to the workmanship precision of stalwart bassist Chris McCarvill and percussion maven Jimmy Degrasso who flipped his sticks in perpetual motion whilst never missing one solitary cymbal enunciation.

All of this, however spectacular, paled in deathly pallor, to the deity like entrance of George Lynch. His eminence was held in royal esteem and the crowds excitement was palpable. Mr Lynch transmogrified into Mr Scary (pun intended), as he jackhammered the frets into mush by sheer will of dexterous spontaniety. The three songs that showcased his performance were “Tooth & Nail” (which possessed me to chant along due to the delight, or chagrin, of those nearby), a supercharged rendition of “Kiss Of Death” ( a few bpms faster with nimble fingered, fretboard aesthetics galore) and “Into The Fire” which incited a flurry of headbanging and fist pumping. It was sheer frenzy gone amuck. All in all a grand and evocative evening with the purveyors of melodic glam metal.

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Brandishing the tarnished yet unsullied flag (of hate) of Los Angeles thrash for over a decade is one- Evilization. Four lingering mercenaries on a plague ridden trek to induce head banging trauma and bloodied moshpit conniptions. Already leather weathered veterans of the scene (they even toured with Nervosa) Evilization is back with a pugilistic vengeance and a new battalion of scorched earth mashers to back up their audial warfare.

First track proper “Necromancy” would slot in befittingly on Destruction’s Infernal Overkill. Lead singer Stas Felton emits dragonfire of high velocity, akin to a reanimated Paul Baloff intermingling with Schmier in a drunken brawl. Founding member guitarist Henry Recinos conjures riffs that slice like shiny new subliminal razor blades. Nay, old and rusted razors. The ones that cause those grisly, gnarly, perforated cuts, that left untreated for a prolonged amount of time, tend to infect and scarify...for life.

“Helions” attacks like a starved, salvating pitbull.

Straight to the point like a sniper targeting it’s prey. This (de)composition has a tangible power metal slant mixed into their beer, blood and saliva elixer of whiplashing thrash. The battering ram of percussive artillery held sway by Beto Lopez pushing the pulsating tornado into unchartered territory, whilst bassist David Marquez stamps down the earthen crust with rumbling thunder.

His bass killing especially prominent during “Power From Hell”, another favorite of mine.

Evilization unleash rambunctiously rampant and rapturously rapid fire riffs of the old school gaurd. This album sizzles with intense ferocity. The same feral intent that drove early Metallica to heights heretofore unimagined, but Evilization’s sound is flavored with a european bent, tempered with a bay area glaze and a dirty grit suited for germanic soil. A rip roaringly, raucously rabid, rampaging steed of sonic severity. Thrash that explodes like a seismic rift. Behold...one of the jewels of the underground L.A metal scene.

https://www.facebook.com/evilization.page January/February 2022

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ALBUM REVIEWS Idolmaker Bob Dee with Petro (AMG/Sony Records)

Review by Ken Morton

Bob Dee with Petro has been rocking his home state of New York and well beyond throughout their brilliant career, including a tour with Enuff Z’Nuff that made its way to the world-famous Whisky a Go Go on the Sunset Strip. From his beginnings in bands such as Tokyo and Beg, Borrow And Steal and on until present day, Bob Dee has released a treasure trove of material.

The band now finds themselves within the realm of major label Sony Records, kicking off 2022 with the explosive sounds of Idolmaker. Containing five absolutely memorable tunes, Idolmaker is an EP showing Bob Dee with Petro delivering the sonic goodness tenfold.

Opening with the rock solid reverberations of Baby, Bob Dee with Petro captivate the listener at once in a song where driving vocals and infectious melodies reign supreme. Kissed By The Light Of The Moon is glorious and inviting, with its dynamic amalgamation of pop and psychedelia rendering this one a sweet and cosmic standout.

Ghost In My Pocket is another example of pure rocking perfection to be found within the Idolmaker experience.

Lost On You is a stunning piano ballad superbly showcasing Bob Dee at his most reflective and impassioned. And then closing out Idolmaker is a rip-roaring rendition of (I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone, with Bob Dee and company paying raging rock and roll tribute to The Monkees.

Each and every member of the band shine on Idolmaker, featuring the participation of Bob Dee on vocals and guitar, TJ Jordan on guitar, Alison Jones on bass, and Scott Campbell on drums. Compared throughout their own expansive rock and roll journey to the likes of Cheap Trick, Bob Dee with Petro present a sonic diversity on Idolmaker that is a thrill to the senses. Here’s hoping we see Bob Dee with Petro back on the road soon presenting these amazing songs in a live setting. In the meantime, check out Idolmaker and prepare to be swept into a state of pure sonic euphoria! Pro tech credits include mixing by Lou Giordano (Goo Goo Dolls, Live), and mastering by Alex Saltz (Vampire Weekend, Stryper).

https://www.bobdeewithpetro.com/

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January/February 2022

Crysteria Crystal Ball Massacre Records

Review by Ken Morton

Crysteria is the 11th album from Swiss melodic metal / hard rock outfit Crystal Ball, and it’s certainly a standout next chapter in an already epic music career. Conceived in the midst of these pandemic days, the band wrote a whopping 30 songs for the album, and the final selections found within the realm of Crysteria presents a band at the very height of their creativity.

Opening with the very timely and diabolically memorable What Part Of No, Crystal Ball proceed to deliver the goods with a massive sense of conviction. You Lit My Fire is up next, an absolute anthem for the ages. Call Of The Wild is a standout to be sure, featuring the grand participation of Ronnie Romero from Michael Schenker Group, Sunstorm, ex-Vandenberg and many others!

I Am Rock is vibrant and euphoric, with its towering chorus and bombastic lyrics reigning tenfold. And the hits just keep driving through, with Undying, Make My Day, and the glorious title track leaving an indelible impression on the listener.

The bonus tracks on Crysteria are even more rock solid!

Various members of Jaded Heart join Crystal Ball for the dazzling Crystal Heart! And then the final song on the special edition is Till You Meet Again, a remarkable tender ballad showing another intriguing side to this long running band. Both these tracks are definite reasons to search high and low for the limited editions of this already very amazing album!

The almighty Crystal Ball lineup consists of Steven Mageney on vocals, Scott Leach on guitars, Peter Berger on guitars, Cris Stone on bass, and Marcel Sardella on drums. Crysteria was skillfully produced, mixed and mastered by Stefan Kaufmann of Accept and U.D.O. infamy, who also contributed additional lead guitars to four songs on the album. Here’s hoping we finally see Crystal Ball rock the States in the near future!

https://www.crystal-ball.ch/en/band/ https://massacre-records.com/

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EDITOR’S KEN’S TOP 10 OF 2021 2021 may have been another year dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, but there was still a ton of good music to keep us all company. Live shows resumed once again, and although Delta and Omicron are making life and touring a bit more challenging, we are beginning to see a glimpse of normalcy on the 2022 horizon. As for the year in music, newer bands such as Holding Absence and Caskets released vibrantly impassioned albums. Melodic rock experienced a banner year, with acts such as Newman, Vega, and Cruzh unleashed the auditiory goods in an epic way. And metalheads were treated to headbanging efforts from classic bands such as the mighty U.D.O. and the glorious Victory! Here are my Top 10 albums that kept me rocking in 2021. I have also included my Top 10 EP’s featuring several up-and-coming bands well worth seeking out.

TOP 10 ALBUMS LOST SOULS BY CASKETS (SHARPTONE) Caskets present post hardcore emo rock with a good amount of imagination and flair. SharpTone is definitely the label to find the very best in this style of music, and Caskets certainly presented one of the most poignant albums of the year. Each and every member of Caskets deliver from the heart of the matter, rendering their debut Lost Souls effort a deep and absorbing experience not to be missed. Songs such as The Only Ones, Glass Heart, and Lost In Echoes will have you singing along to their powerful refrains. On their first ever US tour with Dayseker and Holding Absence in the New Year!

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TROPICAL THUNDER BY CRUZH (FRONTIERS MUSIC SRL) Frontiers Music Srl released a whole bunch of melodic rock and metal albums to keep us all company in the pandemic year of 2021. Tropical Thunder by Cruzh was one of the most refreshing releases from a label now celebrating their 25th Anniversary. Cruzh is a new breed of AOR melodic rock, with super charismatic members delivering the sonic goods big time! Songs such as We Go Together, Turn Back Time, and New York Nights are instant timeless classics that truly set the imagination above and beyond these turbulent days. Tropical Thunder by Cruzh is definitely the feel good record of 2021 and beyond!

T H R E E – 6 FEET APART BY DIANE & THE DEDUCTIBLES (DRAIA PRODUCTIONS) T H R E E – 6 Feet Apart finds Diane & The Deductibles in a world where creativity and hope remain alive even in the shadow of a deadly pandemic. Conceived during the tumultuous year of 2020, Diane & The Deductibles made the best of downtime from playing live, and present to their friends and fans T H R E E – 6 Feet Apart – the next chapter in their rocking legacy from these talented and diverse musicians. Let’s Live is about living your best life in the age of Covid-19 while Darkness is a powerhouse psychedelic anthem about suicide prevention. Say What You Mean is super infectious and should be all over the worldwide radio airwaves. Featuring current and former members of Air Supply, Hurricane, Bill Ward Band, and Brand X. TWO FOR A LIE BY HERMAN FRANK (AFM RECORDS) Herman Frank is best known as the guitarist for legendary January/February 2022

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bands such as Accept and Victory, and has also amassed a pretty impressive solo career. Two For A Lie is his latest heavy metal manifesto, bursting at the seams with explosive songs such as Teutonic Order, Venom, Hate, and Eye Of The Storm. Amongst the musicians joining Frank on his Two For A Lie journey is vocalist Rick Altzi of At Vance and Masterplan. Victory co-conspirator Mike Pesin is also featured within the ranks of Herman Frank’s Two For A Lie on dueling guitar. Two For A Lie is a solid metal effort, heavy on the sonic intensity, thrilling riffage, and absolutely memorable tunes!

THE GREATEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE

BY HOLDING ABSENCE (SHARPTONE) The Greatest Mistake of My Life by Holding Absence is certainly one of the most brilliant, moving albums of the decade. From the opening refrains of Celebration Song with it’s powerful “I’m alive” clarion call to the heart wrenching Mourning Song as the grand finale nears, Greatest Mistake is an epic listening experience and the album where Holding Absence suddenly surpassed all of their shoegaze / emo rock influences. Emotionally devastating and well worth seeking out. Songs such as Afterlife and In Circles would enrich radio airwaves all across the world. Watch for their upcoming US tour with Dayseeker and Caskets!

INTO THE MONSTERS’ PLAYGROUND BY NEWMAN (AOR HEAVEN) Steve Newman has been releasing high quality melodic rock albums since 1998, the most recent being Ignition in March 2020 right before Covid-19 was unleashed upon the world. Into The Monsters’ Playground could definitely be Newman’s soundtrack to these pandemic days, sweeping and moody, documenting the passages of time in a world gone wild with a wide-eyed intensity. Into The Monsters’ Playground is always compelling, with selections such as Time Bomb, Start This Fire, Hurricane Sky, and Icon presenting a sense of conviction and urgency that renders this recording an absolute stand out in the already brilliant AOR Heaven catalog.

STANDING ON THE EDGE BY ROBIN MCAULEY (FRONTIERS MUSIC SRL) Robin McAuley is known around the world for his time spent with McAuley/Schenker Group and Michael Schenker Fest, his powerful voice sending any song into stratospheric heights. With a little help from friends such as Alessandro Del Vecchio and Frontiers Music, McAuley has unleashed the grand and glorious Standing On The Edge – and what a magnificent solo endeavor this one is! With his towering vocals and such radiant melodic rock tapestries on tap, Standing On The Edge presents Robin McAuley in his finest hour.

Another absolutely thrilling album courtesy of Frontiers!

GAME OVER BY U.D.O. (AFM RECORDS) Udo Dirkschneider might be best known as the original voice of Accept, but he’s created even more albums under the U.D.O. moniker. And what a rock solid effort Game Over is a massive collection is 16 world class hard rock selections!

On Game Over, we find some reflective worldview lyrics that HIGHWIRE DAZE

January/February 2022

send the already raging songs into the stratosphere. Kids And Guns, Holy Invader, Fear Detector, and Metal Never Dies are among the future classics to be found within the confines of Game Over – and it presents Udo and company at the very height of their creative genius. Along with the amazing Live in Bulgaria 2020 – Pandemic Survival Show which was unleashed early this year, U.D.O. has given us all plenty to rock out to as these Coronavirus days rage relentlessly on.

ANARCHY AND UNITY BY VEGA (FRONTIERS MUSIC SRL) UK rockers Vega are back with Anarchy And Unity, their seventh studio album overall and the culmination of a string of releases which started in 2009 with their debut album Kiss of Life. Jam packed with solid melodic rock, songs such as Beautiful Lie, Sooner Or Later, End Of The Fade, and Ain’t Who I Am are sure to bring on a rapturous response for genre fans. Their previous album Grit Your Teeth, released in 2020, was also a raging affair, and combined with Anarchy And Unity, Vega is definitely at the height of their creative energies. Anarchy And Unity is an inspiring album to rock out with in these turbulent times!

GODS OF TOMORROW BY VICTORY (AFM RECORDS) Ten years after their last studio album, Don’t Talk Science, hard rock titans Victory return with Gods Of Tomorrow – and it’s just as epic as the title would suggest. Founding member Herman Frank is joined by vocalist Gianni Pontillo from The Order and a batch of new members, the results being a glorious Victory album that will thrill the senses of music fans the world over. Powerhouse songs such as Love Hate, Cut To The Bone, Into The Light, In Rock We Trust, and the sweeping title track are sure to leave a lasting impression on the already remarkable Victory legacy. Here’s hoping this powerhouse Victory lineup makes their way to the States again at long last. An instant classic!

TOP 10 EPS DESPERATE TIMES DESPERATE PLEASURES

BY BOSTON MANOR (SHARPTONE) Boston Manor has come a long way since their humble pop punk beginnings. Now on a new label, the UK collective has unleashed Desperate Times Desperate Pleasures. This next chapter is filled with seething lyrics and spiraling melodies that will grip like a vice on your senses. Vocalist Henry Cox presents the dark, haunting lyrics with a ton of passion while the rest of the band unleashes the auditory odyssey like a pulsating heart on fire. The five songs found within area stunning and vibrant, clearly taking Boston Manor to the next level. Looking forward to their full length in 2022!

ARISING BY DIRKSCHNEIDER & THE OLD GANG (AFM RECORDS) And now back to Udo Dirkschneider and the absolutely prolific year this legendary performer has experienced in music. Dirkschneider & The Old Gang, features the one and only Udo and his longtime companions Peter Baltes (bass; ex-Accept), Stefan Kaufmann (guitar; ex-Accept, U.D.O.) 61

and Mathias Dieth (guitar; Sinner, U.D.O.) as well as Udo’s son Sven Dirkschneider (drums; U.D.O., Dirkschneider) plus singer Manuela Bibert. 3 epic songs in all on a glorious EP that ends way too soon! When The Angels Fly is a very special track, recorded as a tribute to the frontline workers who have protected others from the pandemic.

THE FIFTH BY THE FIFTH (WEAPON / VANITY MUSIC) North Carolina hard rockers The Fifth has returned with a new lineup, presenting what is easily one of the very best EP’s of the year. Featuring founding member Roy Cathey from Cold Sweat and SteelCity, the five tracks found within The Fifth’s Self-Titled EP are instantly memorable and leave you craving a whole lot more. Cathey is definitely one of the most epically underrated rock vocalists on the planet, and he delivers the goods tenfold within the ranks of The Fifth. A thrilling relaunch of a band ready to bring kickass 80’s rock back with a vengeance.

BRAZEN WHISPER BY FROZEN TEARS (MR RECORDS) The timeless melodies found within the realm of Brazen Whisper by Frozen Tears should be all over the worldwide radio airwaves. Expansive, passionate and supremely memorable, Frozen Tears from Australia know how to deliver a hard-hitting melodic rock song, and the seven tracks found within Brazen Whisper are like a sonic love letter to a timeless genre that continues to enrapture music fans everywhere.

Songs such as Hold On Tight, Love Can Be Real, and the dynamic title track will rock your world and leave you craving a whole lot more of those Frozen Tears! And be sure to stay on to the end and hear their kickass interpretation of the KISS classic C’mon and Love Me. RETROJECT EP BY LITTLE US (FAMINED RECORDS) Little Us may be a subtle unassuming band name, but the soaring post hardcore reveries this Connecticut based collective unveils are massive and wondrously imaginative. There may be only a trio of songs within the confines of the Retroject EP, but Little Us makes every last note count, leaving a lasting impression on all who give a good listen. Not only is Little Us a band well worth seeking out, but their label Famined Records is also signing a lot of very interesting bands as of late. Stay tuned and expect great things from Little Us and the Famined front in 2022 and beyond.

NOCTURNAL OVERDRIVE PART ONE

BY MADMAN’S LULLABY (MR RECORDS) Hailing from San Jose, California and signed with MR Records of Australia, the almighty Madman’s Lullaby is ready to rock an entire world with their raging anthems. They’ve opened for the likes of Michael Schenker, Lynch Mob and WASP, and judging by the hard rocking goods heard within the grooves of their latest album Nocturnal Overdrive – Part 1, it won’t be long until Madman’s Lullaby serenade fans on their very own headlining tours. With an album as powerful as Nocturnal Overdrive – Part 1, it will be thrilling to see what the band has in store for us with the next chapter of 62

this sweeping magnum opus. Stay tuned because the passion Madman’s Lullaby exudes within their sonic art is insanely addictive and well worth seeking out.

XOX BY MISERY! (REVIVAL RECORDINGS) Misery Loves Company has dropped the Company and has been rebranded as Misery! After unleashing some absolutely compelling singles, the mighty Misery! now unveils XOX upon the great big world – and what an absolutely exhilarating comeback from a band ready to take their post hardcore legacy into the next great and glorious chapter. Six dark, absorbing and ultimately inspirational selections may be found within the ultrasonic world of Misery! and it’s one that music fans will want to revisit time and again. The final track H.O.P.E. features XOX producer Ricky Armellino of This Or The Apocalypse infamy on guest vocals.

DAYS LIKE THESE BY PHIL MARTIN’S DRIVE (MR RECORDS) Imagine the warmth of AOR melodic rock with grand progressive inflections found within, and you are only beginning to uncover the auditory artistry of Phil Martin’s Drive. The perfect soundtrack to travelling the glorious highways of this life we live, Days Like These by Phil Martin’s Drive may only possess six songs, but each selection is a rich and rewarding tapestry. Opening with the should-be hit single Ordinary, this track alone would launch any band into melodic rock greatness.

RHEMA EP BY WAR OF AGES (FACEDOWN RECORDS) War Of Ages re-emerged this year with the almighty Rhema – a short yet very intensive recording with the long running band presenting the very best songs of an already glorious career. On the Christian metalcore side of the spectrum, War Of Ages has been a staple of Facedown Records since their debut Self-Titled EP in 2005, and it’s been enlightening to see the partnership persevere and yield such epic results throughout the years. With an EP dazzling as Rhema, it will be exciting to see what adventures a new War Of Ages full length will possess for fans of the metalcore genre.

WE MIGHT BE ALRIGHT BY WAXFLOWER (RUDE RECORDS) Waxflower is on the rise, based out of Australia and ready to take on the world with their super infectious and vibrantly introspective songs. We Might Be Alright is their latest EP now available via the Rude Records compound. Produced

by Stevie Knight (With Confidence, Stand Atlantic), We Might Be Alright by Waxflower is quite a discovery for pop punk fans looking for an exciting new band to enjoy. The band has opened for the likes of Simple Plan and has been on and off the road with their We Might Be Alright Tour throughout Australia due to the ongoing pandemic. Expect to hear a lot more from this band in the New Year!

A sampling from the very best releases of 2021. Now bring on the music classics of 2022!

(Compiled by Ken Morton for Highwire Daze Magazine) January/February 2022

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